


The Dark Side Of My Shadow

by AoiTsukikage



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Government Experimentation, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-30
Updated: 2014-08-31
Packaged: 2018-02-06 20:02:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 34,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1870566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AoiTsukikage/pseuds/AoiTsukikage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sanji hadn’t planned on getting bitten that night.  Law hadn’t planned on taking a vampire home with him.  Now there’s no going back. AU, Vampire!Sanji, eventual Law/Sanji</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“You’re not Turned?”

Law gives a rather unpleasant smirk to the air, feeling the cold body against him reel back in confusion although the fangs touched to his neck don’t falter.  He’s not sure whether the blond is careless or newly Turned, but generally trying to bite another vampire doesn’t end well.  He supposes it might be instinct to being surprised, but the young man _does_ seem rather clumsy for a vampire.

“I’m not.  Fully human,” Law assures him, not feeling any threat, and the other man shivers and leans against him, nuzzling at his neck in a way that’s obviously not meant to be violent.  He knows he _looks_ like a vampire, with his dark-rimmed yellow eyes and his chilly demeanor, but it’s something that’s saved him in the past.  As long as they didn’t get close enough to feel his body heat or sense the blood flowing in his veins, usually they left him alone.

“You’re so warm,” the creature murmurs and Law tightens his grip on the sword he always carries, shifting it so the other man notices.  “You’re…are you a Hunter?”

“No,” Law laughs sharply.  “But my sword is inhabited by a demon who really, _really_ hates vamps and it _will_ destroy you if you cross me,” he growls, feeling the other man pull away as if it’s a great struggle to do so.  Law takes a good look at him then.  He’s probably barely into his twenties, blond and skinny, and he could pass for human if he tried.  “Were you Turned against your will?”

The man nods and Law feels a pang of sympathy.  It’s always a harsh jolt of reality when he hears of some poor soul getting attacked and instead of being killed, they have enough stamina to survive the bite and the blood loss but the…side-effect is that they have no say in becoming what they are.  He sometimes wonders if it would be better for them to die rather than having to suffer through slowly losing all traces of humanity 

“I don’t know what to do,” the man admits, crossing his arms.  “I don’t want to go home…the shitty old man will have a fit if I waltz in there like this, and I can’t be a cook if I can’t use garlic,” he sighs and Law reaches out, pressing his hand against the cool skin of the other man’s throat. 

“Come with me,” he decides then.  It’s not conventional, perhaps, but he doesn’t see any harm in it.  “You can stay with me for a while and…protect me from others of your kind that decide I’d make a good snack,” he smirks and the blond looks up in surprise. 

“Um.  Okay.  I’m Sanji,” the man sticks out his hand formally and Law laughs to himself, taking it and feeling those icy fingers against his palm.  His sword vibrates in his grasp and he sends a mental command for it to settle down, which it does after a moment or two.  He hopes the demon living inside won’t see the vampire as a threat, but it seems to understand that much, at least. 

“Law.  Now come on, before any more of your lot show up,” he turns and walks away, hearing a flick behind him and turning to see the vampire _smoking,_ of all things, but he looks more relaxed when he falls into step beside Law. 

“Thanks,” he mumbles and Law wonders just what he’s gotten himself into. 

000

“Here,” Law shoves open the door to his place and waits for the vampire to enter, the creature skittishly looking around before he does so.  “I’ve got a spare room you can stay in…if your kind sleep, that is,” Law looks over his shoulder, Sanji sighing and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“I dunno.  I’m guessing I have to, right?  Or…not, because I’m…” he shivers and Law would feel bad except he knows the disease is spreading through the young man’s body.  These weren’t vampires like the stories made them out to be, after all.  Yes, there were some similarities: the biting, the fangs, and standard weaknesses like sunlight and garlic all seemed to apply, but Turning wasn’t an instant process.  As the days went on, Sanji would become less and less human, eventually turning into a creature driven only by bloodlust and incapable of human reasoning. 

Law’s not going to let him stay around that long, but one night shouldn’t make much of a difference.  He knows Kikoku will protect him if the vamp decides to start looking for blood, after all. 

“Fuck,” Sanji sinks to his knees, staring at nothing and seemingly frozen in place, and Law thinks that it’s…strange.  Yes, most people probably wouldn’t be too happy about what’s essentially a death sentence, but from what he’s heard the initial bite normally progresses the transformation a little farther. 

This man’s pale, yes, but Law’s beginning to think that’s just because he _is,_ and his body temperature is certainly dangerously low for a human, but his eyes are still blue and not the reddish-tinge those infected start to attain, and apart from his unnatural coldness and his sharp teeth, he doesn’t seem Turned at all. 

“Come with me,” Law’s beginning to get a hunch as to what’s happened here, although he dearly hopes he’s wrong because if he’s _not_ the other man’s in even more danger than he’d be if he was a full vampire.  “Eat that,” he pulls a bowl of leftover pasta from the fridge and Sanji tastes it experimentally, looking mildly repulsed. 

“Well, the pasta’s done rather beyond al dente and the sauce is…” he smacks his lips and takes another bite, nodding.  “It’s spiced well, but I think they went overboard on the…garlic…” he stops, then, and looks up at Law.  “This has garlic in it.”

“It does,” Law affirms. 

“How can I eat it?” Sanji narrows his eyes, half turning, and Law sees him physically reel and brace his hands on the table, body starting to shake.  “Oh God…”

“What’s wrong?” Law moves around the table himself, catching sight of them in a mirror hanging in his living room. 

But wait.  Vampires didn’t…

And Sanji _doesn’t,_ exactly.  It’s not so much a reflection as it is a vague swirling shadow, colors streaking through it that match the shades of the clothing the blond is wearing.  The shape of him is visible, distorted like it’s being projected through water, or like a heat mirage on a sunny day, but true vampires wouldn’t have shadows at all. 

Which means, Law thinks with a sigh, he’s right. 

And Sanji’s totally fucked. 

“Law…” Sanji turns to him, something like pleading in his eyes.  “What…what _am_ I?”

“You’re a half-breed,” Law says simply, reaching to grip Sanji’s chin so he can look into his eyes.  “Either you were bitten by an inexperienced vampire who didn’t know how to complete the transformation, or your stamina was strong enough to fight off the worst of the Turning.  But that gives you two choices: you can wait around for the Hunters to catch you, or you can wait until the shadow-lord finds you and turns you completely.”

The blink he gets at that means he has no idea what Law is talking about and the older man takes some sympathy on him.  It’s not his usual practice to feel _sorry_ for people, especially ones that only have themselves to blame (because really, wandering around at night with no protection?  The guy was _asking_ for it), but he can tell that Sanji’s not accustomed to being vulnerable either and he’s sure if he was in the same situation he’d want answers above anything else. 

“The Hunters are a special government task force who find half-breeds and eliminate them, and Moria…the shadow-lord…some people think he’s a half-breed himself because he’s not fully inhuman, but he’s amassed an army of vampires and they’re always looking for new recruits.  I’m not sure what his eventual goal is, but it’s a constant battle between the government and his soldiers with half-breeds like you caught in the middle,” he rests a hand on Sanji’s shoulder and can feel again how ice-cold he is. 

“Why do they want to kill me?” Sanji asks, pressing himself unconsciously toward Law’s body heat.  “I’m not a threat…”

“No, but you’re not human.  The government tries very hard to limit the world’s exposure to the undead, so to speak, and most citizens have no issues with them killing vampires because they see them as monsters.  But as a half-breed, you’re still human enough that most people would consider it murder, but unpredictable enough that the government sees you as a liability.  So they hire out assassins to do the job for them and for the most part nobody is any the wiser.  I mean, you’d never heard of half-breeds before tonight, so they must be doing something right,” Law’s not convinced it’s a good way to run a society, but then, he supposes depending on how far a person is Turned they could be dangerous. 

Sanji’s obviously not, but he knows the Hunters won’t care about that. 

“The government’s hardly innocent, though.  They’ve been developing mutation experiments for years, and a lot of their main killers are hybrids,” he narrows his eyes because while he knows some of the scientists are moral, there are others who will experiment on anything or anybody with no regard as to how it will affect them. 

“Fuck.  They really cover things up well, huh?” Sanji looks down at the tabletop, eventually slumping forward and starting to shake a little.  “ ‘m sorry.  I mean, you probably didn’t want to spend your night babysitting…”

“I’ve just told you that your two options in life are to be killed or to lose your humanity.  I would expect you to be a little overwhelmed,” Law sits down, sword slung over his shoulder as a precaution.  “But I promise you that you’re safe here.  I’m not in the business of hurting people who’ve done nothing wrong, and while I suppose the government considers me an ally, I really have no allegiance to them.  I’m useful because of this,” he strokes his fingers down the sheathe of the nodachi. 

“So you…”

“I’m privy to a lot of information they may wish to keep from getting out, yes, so I would appreciate it if you don’t repeat any of it,” he says firmly and Sanji nods.  “Good.  You can stay here tonight, but tomorrow it’s best if you return to your regular routine.  The less attention you draw to yourself the more likely it will be nobody will suspect anything.  As I said, I know of no other half-breeds, but if they keep themselves well-hidden there may be a reason for it,” he regards the young man carefully before standing.  “You can warm that up and finish it if you wish.  Bedroom and bathroom are that way,” he points down the nearby hall and heads to his own room, not bothering to see if the man needs anything else. 

He’s provided more than enough charity already.  What happens to the man after this is none of his concern.

000

He’s woken up to somebody pulling the sheets back and he reaches for Kikoku on instinct, preparing to fend off whomever it is.  It takes his sleep-addled brain a moment or two to realize there’s only one person it _could_ be, but that hardly makes him feel any better.  He’s not entirely sure if half-breeds require blood for sustenance but he’s damn sure not offering up any of his for consumption. 

He soon realizes that Sanji is, in fact, not trying to bite him, but he’s about as warm as a block of ice and he’s shaking uncontrollably. 

“I can get you another blanket,” he says dryly, hearing the other man’s teeth chatter before he’s finally under the sheets and Law flinches away from the cold touch.  “I’m not your personal heater.”

“Shut up.  I d-don’t like it e-either,” Sanji curls into him, breathing harshly, and Law endures it until his shivering has subsided a little.  “It’s not like I _like_ cuddling with guys.”

“That makes two of us,” Law mutters, although truth be told he’s not exactly averse to men in general.  Cuddling, however, isn’t something he has any experience with.  Sanji lets his head rest on Law’s shoulder, one arm thrown over his chest, and Law places his hand in the small of the other man’s back to hold him steady.  “Feeling better?”

“A little,” Sanji admits, still wracked with tremors every few seconds.  “Fuck, this is going to take a while to get used to.”

“It seems like it would,” Law admits, although truthfully he’d rather not have any more small talk.  Still, the more Sanji’s calmed down, the easier it will be to get him to go to sleep, Law reasons.  “What happened to you tonight?”

“Oh.  Um.  I was an idiot,” Sanji laughs bitterly, but he does seem focused not and his body is still.  “I was heading to my car from the restaurant and I heard what sounded like a woman crying from a nearby alley.  So I went in to see what was wrong or if I could help and…all I remember is red eyes and decaying skin and the smell of death and _pain_ and when I woke up…” he shrugs.  “I think I wandered around in a daze for a while until you showed up.”

“Well, lucky me,” Law remarks, hearing Sanji snort. 

“Yeah, why couldn’t you have been a pretty girl?” Sanji asks, only half-serious, and Law smirks up at the ceiling. 

“It’s your own choice that you attacked me instead of a woman,” he replies and Sanji weakly shoves at his shoulder.

“Bastard.  As if I’d ever hurt a lady like that,” he growls and Law unconsciously strokes his back to placate him.

“Need I remind you that it’s because of a woman you’re in this predicament?” he feels compelled to point out and Sanji sighs but drops the subject.  He falls quiet, then, and Law has the feeling he won’t move willingly.  It’s not entirely uncomfortable, he supposes, sleeping with somebody, but it’s hardly something he’s enjoying, especially when his bed-partner is doing his best to leach the heat from the entire room. 

Still, Sanji’s compliant enough now, and quiet, so Law tries his best to get some rest of his own. 

000

He wakes up to the smell of bacon frying, blinking into the semi-darkness from the closed blinds, and stumbles blearily out into the kitchen.  Sanji’s standing at the stove, shirtsleeves rolled up and moving in a way that tells Law he’s completely comfortable in a kitchen. 

“Hey, good morning!”

“Well, somebody’s in a markedly better mood,” Law grumps, going to sit at the table and looking up in surprise at the cup of coffee that’s pushed in front of him. 

“Thank you. For everything last night,” Sanji leans back against the counter, crossing his arms.  “And I guess I’m just…relieved that I can still do what I love and....” he points to the window and Law looks over, getting it immediately.  The sun is shining brightly into the kitchen and Sanji doesn’t seem to be feeling any pain from it, although Law notices that his shadow is reminiscent of the reflection in the mirror last night.  It’s not a solid mass but rather a swirling mist of greys and blacks, almost pitch black where Sanji’s heart would be and spreading out to wispy cloud-grey at his feet and fingertips.  Still…

“Sunlight doesn’t affect you,” he realizes, getting a grin from the blond.  “Well, that’s encouraging.  So your only symptoms seem to be a distorted reflection and shadow…”

Sanji looks down then and grimaces, muttering something about, “that’s gonna be hard to hide…”

 “…and abnormally low body temperature.  And fangs,” he adds, leaning back and frowning.  “I wonder if that’s typical of all half-breeds or if it depends just how far the Turning went before it was interrupted…”

“Well, you said you don’t know of any others, so it’s not like we’ve got people to ask,” Sanji turns back and flips some eggs over.  “By the way, I hope bacon and eggs is good.  You’ve got a very balanced pantry but I couldn’t find bread to make toast, so…”

“I hate bread,” Law says darkly and Sanji looks surprised for a moment before snickering to himself.  “And I’m a doctor, so proper nutrition is something I look for.”

“A doctor, huh?” Sanji looks intrigued.  “For the government?  Wait, these hybrid experiments…”

“Yes and no,” Law decides that Sanji, at least, seems trustworthy, and he’s not going to try and cause trouble knowing what fate is in store should he be discovered.  “I have no part in the experiments themselves, those are left in the hands of a man named Vegapunk and a rather less…savory character named Caesar Clown.  I simply examine their test subjects beforehand to make sure they’re physically fit to undergo the experiments,” he explains.  “It’s not a forced process; I would never lie and put somebody’s life in danger and I always require a signed waver before I give the go-ahead,” he explains. 

“Wait, people _volunteer?”_ Sanji looks shocked. 

“Yes.  Extra money, perhaps, or to get a better position within the government.  The two things they’re exploring the most right now are hybrids and mechanical technology,” he continues and Sanji frowns. 

“Mechanical…like cyborgs?” he questions and Law nods. 

“Precisely.  I’m quite sure Caesar’s doing experiments behind the government’s back but either they don’t realize or don’t care, and I have no concrete proof as of yet.  Regardless, that’s my job,” he looks at Sanji carefully, trying to gauge how the other man feels about it, and he shrugs and sets the plate in front of Law. 

“Well, I mean, if they agree to it I guess it’s not immoral.  Has anything ever gone…wrong?” he asks hesitantly and Law nods. 

“Of course.  Horribly so, sometimes, but I can’t feel any guilt for that since I’ve done my job correctly,” he takes a bite and is surprised at the flavor, because he hadn’t known bacon and eggs could even _have_ any flavor.  “This is quite good.  You said you were a chef?”

“Oh, yeah.  You know the _Baratie?”_ he asks and Law nods. 

“That floating restaurant down in the bay?”

“Yeah. My old man…well, he’s not really my old man, but the guy that took me in, he owns it and he’s the head chef there.  He’s been training me my whole life, pretty much,” Sanji lights up a cigarette and leans back, in his element and relaxed now that he seems assured Law does like the food.  “I guess I need to make up an excuse for last night but as long as I get there by noon he shouldn’t ride my ass _too_ much,” he rolls his eyes and Law half-smiles at him.  “Hey, why don’t you come by sometime and I’ll make you dinner on the house?  I’ll put that pasta you had last night to shame,” he promises and Law has no doubt he means it. 

Honestly, Law doesn’t really have any friends, and it’s not as if a half-vamp would be his first choice for a confidant but there’s something…compelling about Sanji that goes far beyond Law’s desire to medically examine what changes are occurring in his body as a result of the semi-Turning he’s experienced.

“I just might,” he decides, aware that he’s sealing his fate, and when Sanji asks for his number and he gives it without hesitating he realizes he might be more lonely than he’s previously been willing to admit. 

Sanji scarfs down his own food then, seemingly gleaning enough sustenance from it that a normal vampire wouldn’t.  Law has a last thought before he leads Sanji to the door, tapping the frame with his fingertips and mentioning, “There’s a story at the lab where I work about a man, many years ago, who was among the first of the hybrid experiments.  They said he was a half-breed and allowed Vegapunk to experiment on him in exchange for his life, but as to what happened after that, not even I know.  He might still be out there.”

Sanji looks thoughtful at that, holding out his hand a little awkwardly for Law to shake, and tells the doctor he’ll have a place for him at the restaurant the next evening. 

Law’s almost surprised to realize that he plans to show up for it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I’m really nervous about this fic because it’s a lot different from the previous Law/Sanji ones I’ve posted, but I’m trying not to keep it too stereotypical as far as the vampires are concerned and also trying to blend elements of canon into it in what I hope are ways that are creative and also make sense.
> 
> 2\. This was started by a random drabble generator I was doing on tumblr where an anon had requested Law/Sanji and the generator gave me ‘vampire!AU’, so that’s what the very first section of this fic is, and the rest was added after I realized I could make a lot more of it.
> 
> 3\. The title comes from the line ‘find my sun in the dark side of my shadow’ from the AWOLNATION song “Not Your Fault.” It’s kind of got a double-meaning in that obviously part of this fic will deal with finding something positive even in what seems to be a bad situation, and also because Sanji’s shadow is one of more…noticeable things about him that’s changed.
> 
> 4\. Feedback is always appreciated, and especially so here because I’m genuinely curious if this is something people will be interested in reading.


	2. Chapter 2

“Are you feeling okay, Sanji-kun?  You look…different.”

Sanji freezes, trying to stop himself from reacting in any way that might be suspicious as he twirls and regards the table of his friends.  They usually show up during the lunch rush if they’re free, and he notes with some pride that Nami does look genuinely concerned.  “Ah, my darling, it’s just a bit of exhaustion.  I slept poorly last night,” he tries to infuse his normal overdramatic inflections into his voice, wriggling a little to keep up the illusion.  Part of him is thankful he only has to deal with a small group today, but Nami, Robin and Ace are all extremely observant so he needs to be on his guard (well, he can just shove a plate in front of Ace and let the other man fall asleep, but the girls are a bit more of an issue) and Zoro, when he wants to be, isn’t oblivious either.

“Well, take care of yourself,” she pats his arm on the way by and he swoons appropriately, spinning away to grab her and the others their meals.  He notices Robin looking at him curiously, the older woman as always with her nose in a book, but Sanji knows she has an interest in the occult and if anybody there could tell what had happened to him, it would be her.  Zoro, the ungrateful bastard, is looking utterly bored to be sitting at a table with two such gorgeous flowers, but Sanji notices when he looks down and picks up one of his swords, eyes narrowing in a way that implies somebody’s about to meet a very bad end on his triple blades, and Sanji suddenly starts to feel inexplicably nervous. 

Because it’s just occurred to him that one of Zoro’s blades is cursed, and if it’s anything like Law’s sword, it’s probably reacting to Sanji’s presence and that’s what Zoro is noticing.  And Zoro might not be the brightest crayon in the box, but if he figures out what’s causing the sword to vibrate…

 _Just act natural,_ he tells himself, because if he looks suspicious at all Zoro’s going to clue into it somehow, and even though he feels a twisting in his gut the entire time he manages to make it through the lunch hour without giving himself away. 

Or, well, he thinks so, until Zoro asks to speak to him in the back, Nami and Robin looking on curiously and eventually tailing them (Ace has predictably fallen asleep and Sanji quickly moves his plate out of the way as they walk to the back so he doesn’t face-plant right into it).

“What, shitty Marimo?  If you’ve got a complaint about the…” he’s halted rather convincingly by Zoro grabbing his collar and bodily lifting him against the wall, the blade of the cursed sword at his throat. 

“Who are you and what have you done with the cook?” he growls, Sanji at a loss for words for a moment because explaining his way out of this one isn’t going to be easy. 

“Zoro!” Nami sounds horrified.  “Of course it’s Sanji-kun!  Don’t be stupid!”

“She’s right, asshole.  And if you don’t let go of me _right now_ I’m going to kick your damn face in,” he unconsciously bares his teeth and that’s when he hears Nami utter a little shriek.  One look down confirms that his shadow, which up until then had been a rather peaceful swirling mass, is roiling like the ocean on a stormy day, streaks of red appearing in the blackness and Sanji pretty quickly figures out that it’s apparently affected by his emotions. 

Fucking great.

“You’re lying,” Zoro presses the sword closer and Sanji can _feel_ it shaking against his skin. 

“Okay; okay!” he still knees Zoro in the solar plexus because he’s getting tired of being held off the ground, and it’s enough to get the swordsman to stumble back while Sanji rights his tie and figures out how to word this.  He should have known he couldn’t keep it a secret forever, but he trusts his friends implicitly.  “I’m still me, I just had a little…incident last night after work,” he clears his throat and sees Robin tilt her head to the side, eyes narrowed. 

“You got bitten,” she surmises, and Sanji nods quickly.  “But you’re not…you’re a half-breed?”

“You know about them?” he asks cautiously. 

“Of course.  I think I’ve read every tome about vampires the library has to offer, and while they’re not mentioned extensively, there’s enough information that I could identify one if I needed to,” she smiles, then, mysterious and mature, and he feels slightly more at ease. 

There’s a scuffling behind him then and Zoro turns, one of his swords still out, but it’s just Ace and Sanji heaves a sigh of relief at that.  “Nobody told me the party was moving,” he frowns, blinking sleepily, but he doesn’t seem _surprised_ by the news and Sanji’s wondering about that.  Robin, yes, but Ace isn’t exactly the bookish type. 

“You’re a _vampire?!”_ Nami shrieks and Sanji hushes her quietly.  “Sorry.  Sanji-kun, you…”

“I’m a _half-_ vampire,” he corrects her gently.  “I’ve got the fangs and low body heat and this…thing,” he points at his shadow, “but that’s it.  I’m still _me,_ and at least from what Law told me I don’t think I’m gonna change any more.”

“Who’s Law?” Zoro asks, still looking ready to attack somebody. 

“He’s…the guy who found me last night.  Works for the government as a doctor and he’s got a cursed sword, too, which is why they keep him around because I get the feeling he’s not really on their side,” he laughs darkly. 

“So that’s why it went crazy.  I was wondering,” Zoro examines the sword again before sheathing it, seemingly placated now.  “So you’re still a scrawny annoying bastard?”

“Only in your mind,” Sanji replies, lighting up a cigarette without regard to how much Zeff will yell at him for smoking inside. 

Damn it, he needs it right now, and he’s only grateful his…vampiric qualities haven’t stifled way nicotine relaxes him. 

“Still,” Robin clears her throat, “It’s best if you don’t tell anybody else.  Half-breeds are uncommon for a reason, and you’ll be putting Sanji in danger if you do.”

Nami nods immediately and Zoro just shrugs although Sanji knows that for all they bicker, they’d never consciously endanger each other and he’s grateful for that. 

“Well, then,” Robin gives him a kind smile and pats his shoulder, making his heart flutter and his shadow wriggle rather uncontrollably.  Thankfully, Robin’s only response is to chuckle softly before she steps back.  “We’ll let you get back to your job.  Thank you as always for lunch, Sanji,” she leaves with a wave, Zoro walking over to him and sighing before clapping a hand on his shoulder with enough strength to make him stagger. 

“Hey.  Don’t get yourself killed or something stupid, okay?”

“Like I would,” Sanji scoffs and Zoro grins then, heading after Robin as Nami comes up and takes his hand, frowning.  “Nami-san…”

“You’re so cold,” she looks concerned, eyes wide. 

“It’s normal.  I think.  I’m not sure _what_ I am, Nami-san, but…”

“You’re still you,” she says firmly, squeezing his hand before moving back.  “And it doesn’t matter to me, or to any of us.”

“I know.  Thank you,” he nods to her and she smiles, although it’s a little dimmer than usual, before walking out.  Sanji sighs and turns back to the cupboard, cursing his own stupidity for causing all of this in the first place.  He completely forgets Ace is there until the other man clears his throat, and he nearly drops a glass on the floor at the sound. 

“So.  A half-breed, huh?”

The way he says it makes Sanji pause, and he stops what he’s doing to turn to him.  “You’ve…heard of them before?”

“It would be awkward if I hadn’t,” Ace replies, crossing his arms and grinning, “seeing as how my boyfriend is one of them.”

000

“Zeff’s going to kill me.”

“Nah, you never get business in the afternoon,” Ace rightly points out but Sanji’s still a little apprehensive, hands stuffed in his pockets.  They’re in a pretty shady area of town and while he knows vampires can’t go out in the daytime, he thinks it’s the sort of place they’d hang out.  He’s not sure what to expect from Ace’s boyfriend, since he’s never met the man, but now he’s got a good idea why.  Ace seems to really like him, though, and Sanji can’t see Ace hanging around with anybody _too_ dark and creepy. 

And yes, there’s a part of him that’s nervous to meet somebody…like him, because it’s only going to make it more real (not that, of course, with his damn shadow reflecting every emotion he feels, it’s hard to forget he’s abnormal).  They stop at an abandoned dock, a few half-built boats bobbing in the water, so rusted Sanji’s fairly sure they’ve been abandoned mid-construction. 

“Why are we…”

“Wait.  Nobody ever comes here so he can show off,” Ace has this light in his eyes that tells Sanji he’s about to see something spectacular, head tilted up to the sky, and Sanji looks up to see what looks like a blue streak of flame shooting across the cloudless expanse. 

“Ace, what’s…”

“Just wait,” Ace grips his elbow and Sanji stands his ground, taking a half step back when the flame heads for them at breakneck speed.  When it gets close enough Sanji can see that it’s some sort of bird, bright yellow flames flickering in amongst the blue, and it hits the dock like it’s a runway, taloned feet digging into the wood as it skids to a halt.  There’s an explosion of flames then but Sanji’s almost amazed to find out that they burn _cold,_ and in the middle of the fire he can see a human shape, the fire flickering down to nothing. 

There are still flames dripping from the tips of his fingers, feet still bird-like before the air _shifts_ and he’s standing on two perfectly human legs, and Sanji has a sudden flashback to Law’s words, of a half-breed who’d let himself be subjected to the hybrid experiments, but _this…_

“You must be Sanji, yoi!” the man drawls, grinning, and Sanji barely has the brainpower to nod.  “I hear you and I have something in common.”

“Told you he was a show-off,” Ace whispers and Sanji thinks that, yeah, that whole display was pretty amazing. 

“The name’s Marco,” the man’s moved closer now, no trace of fire around him, and when Sanji shakes his proffered hand he can feel that Marco’s as cold as he is.  “And I’m sure you’ve got some questions for me.”

Sanji can only nod, but there’s a huge sense of relief floating through him at the same time. 

He’s more than ready to get some answers. 

000

“You’re distracted.  Did you meet somebody?”

“The mere fact that your first thought as to what could possibly be causing me distraction is ‘did I meet somebody’ says a lot about your thought processes, Mr. Eustass,” Law mutters, stepping back and narrowing his eyes.  “And remember that I have no obligation to look at you any longer because biotech is not my specialty.”

“You met somebody,” Kid Eustass says with a firm nod, baring his teeth in a grin that makes him look entirely sadistic.  Law’s not sure he isn’t, but he’s got a strange sense of honor and he seems to have some…attachment to him, or at least likes to pester him, and Law’s thinking the second one is more likely given what he knows of the man. 

Of course, it’s possible he’s turning over a new leaf after having a brush with his own mortality, but he’s not banking on that. 

“I meet several people each day, Mr. Eustass.  Your point?” he asks, examining the rather garish metal arm the man’s now sporting.  He’d been in a rather horrific motorcycle accident a few months prior and had ended up with a few nasty scars and with an arm so badly damaged he’d opted to replace it instead of going through extensive physical therapy with the small chance he might be able to regain full mobility one day. 

And Law knows damn well their cybernetics are advanced enough they could have made a suitably human-looking replacement but Kid has apparently decided to go for this gaudy metal robot-arm that must weigh far more than would be comfortable. 

“How’s your shoulder?” he asks instead, and Kid shrugs. 

“It gets sore if I have to walk around for a long time without getting to rest my arm on something, but I can handle it,” he pouts and Law nods, sitting down in a chair and making a few notes on a pad.  “You’re still avoiding the question.”

“It’s none of your business, quite frankly,” Law sets the pen down a little more firmly than necessary and Kid starts to cackle. 

“I knew it!  You’re so uptight, man, getting laid’ll be good for you!  So who is she?” Kid leans forward, eyes narrowed, and Law sniffs. 

“ _He_ is somebody who had a spot of trouble last night so I took him home so he wouldn’t run afoul of dark creatures.  And _he_ is apparently a very good chef and has offered to make me dinner at his restaurant as thanks,” he thinks that’s vague enough and Kid reaches out to nudge him with that bloody giant arm, nearly knocking him off of his chair. 

“ _He’s cooking you dinner!”_

“As a _thank you._ If it were anything more I would have turned him down immediately,” Law isn’t going to think about Sanji being anything more than a casual acquaintance, not just because he’s quite sure he’d make a horrible boyfriend but also because…well, honestly, Sanji’s new status isn’t putting him off, but the man’s rather unquestionable straightness is hard to get around. 

“Hey,” Kid leans down into his space and Law looks up irritably.  “I’m serious.  If you’ve found somebody that’s willing to be nice to your prickly ass, you don’t let go of him,” he says seriously and Law glares at him, now entirely sure Kid only comes around to press his buttons. 

“Again, I don’t _have_ to have you as my patient any longer…”

“Yeah, right,” Kid stands up and stretches, his arm responding remarkably well for its size before it drops back down to his side again.  “I’ll be back next week.  There’d better be progress with this mystery man,” he threatens, curling his mechanical arm into a fist before leaving the examination room.  Law rubs his temples and slumps over his desk, glad that Kid was his last patient. 

Or maybe, he reflects, it’s not a good thing, because now he’s got nothing to occupy his time until he’s supposed to go to the _Baratie._

It’s going to be a long afternoon.

000

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere safe, yoi,” Marco says over his shoulder, turning down a rather narrow alley and ushering them both into a door in the wall that’s so well-hidden Sanji would have walked right by had he not known it was there.  “Here.”

Sanji looks to Ace but the other man seems all too happy to enter, so he figures that’s good enough for him and passes through the door into a small bar. 

It’s empty save for two men seated at a table in the corner, but then most people aren’t out drinking in the middle of the afternoon so maybe that’s not unusual. 

“Shakky, hey,” Marco waves and the woman behind the bar looks up, holding up her lit cigarette in greeting. 

“Marco; Ace!  And who’s this cutie?” she asks, Sanji’s shadow immediately starting to wiggle again and she reacts by _laughing,_ of all things.  “Oh, you poor dear.  Newly Turned?”

“Ah…last night.  I’m Sanji,” he inclines his head formally, striding across the room to take her hand and press a kiss to the back of it. 

“I like him.  He’s got manners,” she says to Ace and Marco before looking at Sanji directly.  “Well, it’s a good thing you’ve run into Marco, here.  He’ll keep you safe,” she promises.  “And you’re always welcome here if you need to lay low for a bit.  I’ve got two rooms in the back if you need to stay overnight,” she adds, and Sanji nods in thanks because, well, that could come in handy.  “You seem less…freaked out than some of the guys Marco brings in here,” she notes then, and he shrugs. 

“I, um, ran into a…” he’s not sure how much to admit but this woman makes him want to tell the truth so he does.  “I met a guy right after it happened who knew enough about half-breeds to explain some of it to me, so…”

“Would I know this guy?” she narrows her eyes and he blinks. 

“It’s not a big deal, yoi.  If he wanted to kill Sanji he wouldn’t have let him go,” Marco logically points out and Sanji’s relieved, because he has a feeling these people wouldn’t take kindly to _any_ government employee, whether Law agrees with their principles or not. 

“You’re right,” Shakky leans back then, smoking casually.  “Can I get you anything, Sanji?”

“Just water.  I’m still technically supposed to be at work,” he admits sheepishly and she smiles, grabbing him a glass of water before they all move toward the two seated men, both of whom are watching them carefully. 

The one’s a strange looking creature with a shock of neon-green hair that looks almost like a rooster’s comb, a ring through the middle of his nose and fangs that hang outside his mouth, and Sanji thinks that, half-breed or not, he’d really not like to run into this guy under normal circumstances.  The other couldn’t be more different physically, with delicate features that give him almost an androgynous appearance only accentuated by his flowing blond hair and the rose he’s idly twirling between his fingers. 

“Sanji, this is Bartolomeo,” the green-haired guy bares his teeth and nods, “and Cavendish,” the other man’s eye twitches imperceptibly at Marco’s introduction.  “And I’m sure you’ve already guessed why I brought you here, yoi.”

“Yeah.  I think so,” Sanji sits down, Ace sitting beside him like he can tell that he’s a little off-balance, and he appreciates it.  “So, we’re all…”

Marco nods and Sanji looks down for a second, frowning. 

“You don’t have to look so worried, yoi.  Both of these guys had tons of questions after it happened, so whatever you want to ask, we’ll be happy to answer,” he promises, looking utterly relaxed as he leans back in his chair, and Sanji takes a deep breath, thinking of what to ask first. 

“So are there any…similarities between all of us?  Because nobody else has a freaky shadow,” he points to his, which is kind of curling in on itself, mirroring Sanji’s own uncertainty. 

“Near as we can tell, the biggest ones are the fangs and the cold body temperature.  We’ve all got our quirks otherwise, though.  I seem to have accelerated healing and regeneration properties which…is probably why the government decided to go the whole phoenix route, but I can’t say it’s unwelcome.  I’m not sure if it’s the phoenix itself or another side-effect of the vampirism but it’s been…twenty years, give or take, and I haven’t aged a day since then,” he adds.  “And these two…”

“I like flesh,” Bartolomeo bares his rather impressive fangs and Sanji blinks at him. 

“That’s because you were too weak to fight off the worst of the transformation.  At least I’ve kept my stunning looks,” Cavendish smirks, and Sanji gets the feeling that Cavendish might even be more vain than he is. 

“Well, I can control my cravings.  Usually,” Bartolomeo counters, pouting a little.  “I just have to make sure I’ve got fresh meat all the time.  _You…”_

“Ah.  Yes,” Cavendish sighs and when he looks at Sanji again, there’s a definite tinge of red around his blue eyes.  “Sanji…have you ever heard of Rommel’s Whirlwind?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Yes, I know, they didn’t actually interact in this chapter, but they will next time and I needed to get some world-building and exposition in before they can start to work on any sort of relationship ;) And as for what sort of world this is, if you’ve ever played some of the later Final Fantasy games there’s a lot of biotech and talking animals and swords while still having modern technology so it’s kind of in that vein as far as the universe goes. 
> 
> 2\. I’m not entirely sure why Cabbage and Barto came to mind immediately when I was thinking about other characters that could be half-vampires, but since Barto’s epithet is ‘the cannibal’ I thought taking a more…literal meaning would make sense. And Cabbage’s alter-ego seems sinister enough to be something demonic, so that’s why I eventually went with them. Also I realize ‘whirlwind’ isn’t the best translation of ‘Kamaitachi,’ but it’s the one that makes the most sense if the folklore behind the original meaning doesn’t come into play.
> 
> 3\. Thank you for the kind words on the first chapter! I hope you’re all continuing to enjoy this! I’m on holiday right now but I’m by the ocean which generally inspires me to write so we’ll see if I can get another chapter out fairly soon.


	3. Chapter 3

“That’s _you?”_ Sanji knows that’s probably a rather blunt way of putting it but Rommel’s Whirlwind is one of those eerily true urban legends.  It’s well-known that if anybody goes out the night of the New Moon, the most likely outcome is that their body will be found the next morning slashed in so many places it looks like a whirlwind of knives has swept them up.  He’d always assumed it had _something_ to do with the vampires, that maybe the New Moon agitated them in some way, but he never would have suspected…

“It is,” Cavendish looks down, twirling the rose between his fingers and pursing his lips.  “It only happens when I fall asleep on that one night of the month, and I’ve tried my hardest to stay awake but inevitably that fails and, well…” he sighs heavily, leaning his chin on his hand and looking at Sanji.  “I suppose if anybody were to make a case for half-breeds being dangerous they need only look at me, but I find it cruel to be punished for one night when the other twenty-nine or thirty I’m a model citizen,” he states, and while Sanji can see both sides, if Cavendish is truly unaware of it it’s hard to blame him entirely.  “I’ve done what I can to warn people, after all.”

“So,” Sanji’s still trying to process this, but he wants to make sure he asks everything he needs to.   “This…do we need blood?”

“It depends,” Marco leans back in his chair, slinging one arm casually over Ace’s shoulders.  “I’ve never really craved it, but people like Bartolomeo here seem to need it to survive.  I wish I had better answers for you, Sanji, but the truth is I’ve been living with this for over twenty years now and every new half-breed I meet just makes me realize there are so few connections between any of us, yoi.”

“So the shadow thing…”

“Is unique to you, as far as I can tell.  At least, I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Marco shrugs, and Sanji has to admit that doesn’t really make him feel _better_ because his shadow is so damn noticeable.  “It’s far preferable to having violent tendencies, I think.”

“It’s also impossible to hide,” Sanji mutters, Ace reaching to pat his shoulder comfortingly.  “What about the Hunters, though?  Aren’t they…”

“They’re still a concern,” Marco nods.  “Not to me, of course, because I’ve more or less struck a deal with them, but it’s good to be wary when you’re out and about, yoi.  These two stay in hiding most of the time…”

“Yeah, that’s not gonna work with my job,” Sanji’s willing to do a lot to ensure his own safety, but quitting his passion isn’t one of them and Zeff’s not the type of man to let him stay back in the kitchen all night even _if_ he knew the truth. 

“You may have an advantage, however, being in such a public place because the Hunters won’t attack you unless you’re alone and they can get in and out quickly.  So keep somebody around at all times, especially if you’re out alone at night, yoi,” Marco warns, and Sanji nods because, well, being alone at night is what got him into this mess in the first place so he’s pretty sure it’s a rule he can follow.  “And I know I told Shakky to leave you alone, but this…guy you met, you’re sure he’s trustworthy?” 

“If he’s not I can take care of him,” Bartolomeo grins and Cavendish reaches over to smack his arm. 

“What part of ‘laying low’ do you have trouble comprehending?  It’s a wonder you haven’t been done in yet,” he sniffs, but Sanji can sense there’s a type of grudging respect between these two men no matter how different they seem to be. 

“I mean, he had plenty of chances to kill me, or he could have just…left me out on the streets, but from what he says he’s only working for the government because he’s got some sort of cursed sword they want to have on their side,” he shrugs.  “He doesn’t seem too loyal to them, at any rate.”

“Then I suppose I’ll have to take your word for it, yoi,” Marco’s fingers were idly stroking Ace’s shoulder and the younger man gives him a smile, something in Sanji’s chest clenching at the action.  Ace is clearly smitten and Marco seems rather fond of him in return, and Sanji thinks that if it’s possible for a half-vamp to have a relationship he might not be left totally alone forever.  He’s known Ace for a long time, after all, and he’s pretty sure the other man wouldn’t shack up with anybody _too_ strange. 

Sanji glances down at his watch, then, figuring he should be getting back before the dinner rush starts, and he stands up and clears his throat. 

“Well, um, I should be going, but it’s…a relief to know I’m not alone in this,” he says honestly. 

“You’re always welcome here, and so is anybody else that’s fine with what we are,” Cavendish adjusts a rather ornate sword at his side, his blue eyes narrowing as he regards Sanji.  “But if they betray us, they’ll meet a cruel end.  I might not be able to harness my…violent tendencies whenever it’s required, but as this lout already attested to, he most certainly can.”

“Happy to do it,” Bartolomeo bares his fangs and Sanji _thinks_ he’s joking…or maybe not…but it’s never going to happen.  He trusts his friends too much to even think about one of them selling him out.

“Sanji,” Marco motions him over.  “Have Ace walk back with you, yoi.  I can watch over a lot, but I won’t be around all the time and I don’t like interfering with the Hunters because I owe the government my life,” he says this with obvious distaste, true as it might be. 

“Sure,” Sanji looks at Ace, who gives Marco a rather casual one-armed hug before standing and clapping Sanji on the shoulder.  “I’m sure I’ll see you guys around,” he says this mostly to Marco, who nods, but he can’t say he’d be sad to meet any of them again, as…strange as the other two men are.  Cavendish is _eating_ the rose when they leave, Bartolomeo watching him with equal parts fascination and disgust, and Sanji ups his assessment of them from ‘strange’ to ‘really fucking weird,’ but then, he’s got a sentient shadow, so maybe he’s  not in any position to complain. 

000

“So he exists.”

“Yeah,” Sanji slides into a chair across from Law, watching the other man eat his pasta almost methodically.  He hasn’t said much since arriving at the restaurant but Sanji’s strangely flattered by the fact that he came at _all,_ so he’s willing to let his silence slide. 

“I feel a little ashamed that you’ve managed to find out about more half-breeds in one day than I have in all of my years with the government, though,” he adds, but there’s no malice in his voice. 

“You’ve never…experimented on one?” Sanji asks, realizing he’s worded that wrong a second later when Law sets his fork down a little too harshly, golden eyes flashing when he looks up. 

“I would _never_ do anything to a patient without their express permission.  So no, because half-breeds generally don’t go running toward government offices, I can’t say I’ve had the chance,” he hisses, and Sanji shrinks back a little, his shadow writhing in distress.  Law notices that, at least, and sighs heavily, slouching back in his chair.  “Forgive me.  I know you weren’t implying…”

“Nah, I just thought…it’d be something the government wanted to know,’ Sanji frowns, because really, Marco doesn’t like the government but if it comes to saving somebody’s own life Sanji can’t see why they wouldn’t agree. 

“If you want to know the truth, I think they’re avoiding knowing at all costs,” Law’s back to eating now.  “Because I have a feeling that your make-up is not so different from a human’s, and if word of that got out, their culling of half-breeds would be seen as inhumane instead of necessary,” he explains, and yeah, he’s got a pretty good point there.  After meeting Bartolomeo and Cavendish, Sanji’s well aware how dangerous people like him could be, but they’re still more human than not.  “I would still welcome the chance to do some basic testing, but it’s far too dangerous to attempt it without permission since you’d have to come into my lab,” Law narrows his eyes and Sanji crosses his legs, leaning back in his chair. 

“You’ve gotta have more interesting things to do in your spare time than take blood tests,” he points out, and that earns him a tight-lipped smile. 

“Truth be told, I don’t have much of a social life.  My circle of friends consists of a failed hybrid experiment, two of my interns, and a man with a mechanical arm who’s somehow decided I like having him around so he won’t stop pestering me.  Other than that, there’s not much to do,” he doesn’t _sound_ all that bitter, but Sanji really didn’t have any idea how lonely his life must be.  “I’m reclusive by nature, I think, but these…” he points to his yellow eyes, “they don’t help.  People think I’m a demon and they avoid me.”

“But you…”

“I have no idea who my parents were, quite frankly,” Law idly picks at his pasta.  “So I might have some…inhuman qualities somewhere in my lineage, but between my eyes and my sword, people tend to avoid me.  And after so long, I kind of prefer it,” he sighs.  “But I think it’s good you have quite a wide circle of acquaintances because it will only serve to keep you safer in the long run.”

“Yeah, probably,” Sanji admits, and he knows Law’s right about that.  It’s not exactly a happy topic to dwell on, even though Law doesn’t seem to be bothered by his solitary nature so Sanji supposes he should let it go.  “Anyway, you haven’t told me how the food is yet.”

Law gives him a rather knowing smile at that, something inherently playful about the expression and Sanji’s a little surprised to see it from him.  So far Law’s been fairly brusque and neutral, but knowing he’s got at least a sense of humor is nice.  “It’s exceptional, but I have a feeling you don’t need me to tell you that.”

“Nah, keep feeding my ego,” Sanji waves his hand and feels inwardly proud when it gets a soft smile from the doctor.  “Oi, knock if off,” he directs this to his shadow, which is fucking wriggling the way it should if he were talking to a gorgeous lady.  Law is most certainly _not_ that, and while Sanji can admit he’s not ugly, he doesn’t feel anything more toward him other than gratitude for saving his life.  “So.  Not a big circle of friends, but what about a girlfriend?” he asks, more to divert attention away from his shadow than anything. 

“That’s probably even lower on my list of priorities,” Law replies, leaning forward onto the table.  “Not just because I have no interest in conventional relationships, but…” he pauses then, as if he’s said too much, and averts his eyes.  Sanji’s shadow, meanwhile, has decided it would be a really great idea to slide along the floor, twining with Law’s, and the doctor looks at him curiously. 

“Fuck.  Get back here,” Sanji tries to pull his leg back but the shadow stubbornly remains where it is, and Law seems to decide it’s not a threat after a moment or two because he merely shrugs.  “Sorry, it’s…”

“I don’t mind,” Law cuts him off.  “So long as it’s not trying to hurt me, and I suppose this ties in with your previous question but…” he reaches out a hand, down low enough that Sanji’s shadow can glide over it, and Sanji jumps a little when it touches Law’s skin.  It’s like a tiny electric shock going through his body, and this time when he mentally tells his shadow to get the fuck away from Law it listens, creeping back so it’s more or less a normal human shape on the floor.  “Fascinating,” Law murmurs, staring at his hand where it had touched the shadow. 

“So, um, you’re gay,” Sanji _thinks_ that’s what Law’s trying to say with all of this, and the dark-haired man nods. 

“Inasmuch as I feel the need to put a label on myself.  Truthfully sex and romance are irrelevant to me, but yes, I prefer men when it comes to the rare times I…” he cuts off, then, waving his hand, and Sanji has the feeling that he’s actually _embarrassed_ to talk about having sex which seems…odd, because Law’s so carefully composed in everything else. 

“Whatever, I don’t care,” Sanji says honestly, and Law looks a little relived.  “And I guess my shadow doesn’t, either,” he mutters, because his shadow is sliding toward Law again, but it snaps back almost instantly when somebody comes rushing to the table.

“So _this_ is your mystery man,” Ace swipes his hair out of his eyes, hands settled on his hips, and he leans forward to peer at Law. 

“What are you still doing here?” Sanji hadn’t expected to be interrupted but then, with his friends, he should have guessed _somebody_ would be keeping tabs on him. 

“You’re not supposed to walk home alone, right?  So I’ll take you home and then Marco will pick me up so I don’t have to worry,” he offers and Sanji’s grateful for it, because honestly he hadn’t thought much about getting home safely.  “I’m Ace, by the way,” he holds out a hand and Law shakes it after a moment. 

“Law.  And I was telling young Mr. Blackleg here that he’s lucky to have friends like yourself who are so willing to look out for him,” he says formally, but Ace snorts. 

“Yeah, well, I’m kind of dating a half-breed so I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t,” he says logically, and Sanji can see Law perk up at that.  He doesn’t have much time to dwell on it, though, because Ace is still talking.  “But thank you for taking care of him last night.”

“He was remarkably little trouble for somebody who’d just gone through what he did,” Law looks pointedly at Sanji, who meets his gaze evenly and tries to adopt a neutral expression (his fucking shadow is making it impossible, though, and it’s starting to scare him a little).  “Well, thank you for the meal,” he stands up and nods.  “What do I…”

“I told you, it’s on me,” Sanji waves him off and Law nods curtly.  “Hey.”

“Yes?” the man turns and Sanji stands up, trying to keep his shadow under control as he moves closer.  “Do you, um…you’re gonna be okay getting home?”

“I have Kikoku.  I’ll be fine,” Law shoulders his sword to prove his point and takes a couple of steps before turning back.  “Perhaps we’ll meet again.”

“Cut the shit,” Sanji tries to tamp down the disappointment he feels at those words and apparently his shadow decides curling around Law’s and trying to tug him closer is the best way to keep him around.  “I’ve got your number, Trafalgar.  You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

“I see,” Law affords him a tight-lipped smile and reaches his hand out, patting Sanji’s shoulder awkwardly before he moves out of range of Sanji’s still creeping shadow.  “Good night then.”

“Yeah.  Later,” Sanji watches him go, feeling a little weird about everything since he’s not sure what just happened, but he _thinks_ it’s a good thing that Law’s not trying to get away from him. 

000

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

Sanji glances sideways at Ace as they walk, the other man with his hands in his pockets and scanning the sky.  The cook sighs and lights up a cigarette, blowing some smoke into the air and wondering how to answer the question.  “Fuck if I know,” he finally says, because honestly he’s just confused.  “Apparently my shadow’s decided it likes him…”

“I thought you said your shadow just amplified your own feelings…”

“Not this time,” Sanji snaps, and Ace recoils a little.  “Fuck.  I’m sorry, Ace, it’s not your fault, I just…it’s all a little much to process,” he rubs his temples, lips clamped around the cigarette, and stops at the side of the walk to stare out over the calm ocean.  The breeze is cool and while he can’t say it feels _nice,_ exactly, since he can’t get warm anymore, it’s not unpleasant. 

“I don’t blame you,” Ace stops beside him, smiling softly.  “He’s hot.”

“Yeah, but I’m not gay,” Sanji replies, crossing his arms, because turning into a half-vampire is bad enough but his shadow was damn near feeling Law up and that’s just…he’s not going there. 

“Would it be so bad if you were?” Ace nudges his arm and Sanji glances over at him, shrugging. 

“That’s not the point.  I like women,” he’s fairly sure that’s obvious, but Ace gives him a pointed look. 

“Which is why you make a fool of yourself around them and haven’t gotten past holding hands with one?” Ace is teasing but it hits a little close to home because, okay, yeah, it’s not as if Sanji has any experience with _anybody_ but he’s fairly sure he’d know if he wanted to jump into bed with a guy. 

A tiny part of his brain reminds him that _he already did,_ and he angrily brushes the thought aside because curling up with Law last night hadn’t been anything more than necessity. 

“Hey,” Ace says quietly, and Sanji looks over.  “Whatever happens, you know none of us are gonna judge you, and if you need any advice I’m happy to give it…” he leans backward on the rail. 

“So you and Marco…” Sanji’s not sure why he’s asking other than to divert the attention off of himself, but he supposes it’s still relevant because logically what applies to Marco should also work for him.  “He can…I mean…”

“Sexually?” Ace snickers.  “Yeah, totally normal.  I mean, he’s cold, but people always tell me I’ve got too much body heat anyway so it balances out,” he bends his head forward so his hair falls in front of his face, and Sanji feels a strange sense of relief at the news.  He hadn’t exactly been sure if it was possible to get aroused when he’s so cold all the time, but this at least is encouraging.  “You don’t want details, do you?”

“I’m good,” Sanji holds up a hand, because he’s learned what he needs to.  “Come on, let’s keep going.”

“Yeah,” Ace pushes himself off the rail and Sanji follows, deciding that whatever was going on with Law would work itself out in time.  Maybe his shadow was just feeling an attachment to Law because he saved him, or something, but since he doesn’t feel the same way it shouldn’t matter in the long run. 

Objectively he supposes Law _is_ attractive, but he’s also fucking cold and standoffish and definitely _not_ a woman, so Sanji doesn’t really see any reason to think his own feelings will change. 

He realizes then that they’re at his apartment, and Ace waits until he unlocks the door before stepping back. 

“Will you be in for lunch tomorrow?” Sanji asks, and the other man grins, which is answer enough.  There’s a bright flash of blue from the sky and Marco lands in a wave of flame, giving Sanji a nod.  “I’m still not used to that, but you’re welcome too, of course,” he adds and Marco smiles. 

“I might have to take you up on that, yoi.  Ace here talks about your cooking a lot,” he notes and Ace doesn’t even look ashamed about that. 

“Because it’s _amazing,”_ he counters.  “But we should get going.  See you tomorrow,” he says to Sanji, who nods and waves after them before going into his dark apartment. 

He thinks he hears something that almost sounds like a growl before he shuts the door and locks it, but he puts it down to just being his imagination. 

It’s probably nothing to worry about, anyway. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I’m sorry this update took so long! I did indeed have inspiration to write while I was out on the coast, but unfortunately didn’t have any time to so it had to wait until I got back home. 
> 
> 2\. Feel free to comment or review if you’re reading this!


	4. Chapter 4

“Can I see your fangs?”

“You know, I expected a more mature response from you,” Sanji does bare his teeth obligingly, though, at least until Luffy tries to _touch_ one of them and he bats the boy’s hand away although Luffy?  Yeah, Luffy he expected this from. 

“Well, um, I…” Usopp shrugs and scratches his head.  “I’ve always been…interested in vampires, but I never thought I’d get a chance to see one without it trying to kill me.”

“Keep pushing your luck,” Sanji mutters, even though he’s not serious.  Truth be told, Usopp’s handling this better than he’d thought, and he’d known all along that Luffy would just find it cool.  “Seriously, it’s not that big a deal.”

“But you’re, like, undead now, right?” Usopp asks, fingers lightly touching Sanji’s arm and he shivers at the lack of warmth there.

“I’m _cold,_ yeah, but I don’t know if I’m still…my heart’s still beating,” he decides on, even though it’s not like he’s cut himself to see if he still bleeds red, but from what he’s learned the transformation had barely begun when he’d gotten away from the woman, so chances are he’s one of the more human half-vamps around.  Marco and Cavendish seem human enough, maybe, but Bartolomeo is definitely a little farther along…or else he tries really hard to make it seem like he is. 

“I’m just glad you’re okay,” Usopp admits, and Sanji clasps his hand over the younger man’s and nods.  He and Usopp had always gotten on well, even though they’re pretty different, and he values Usopp’s friendship a lot. 

“Me, too!  If you weren’t, I’d have nobody to cook for me!” Luffy wraps him up in a hug and Sanji claps him on the back, knowing that Luffy’s pretty good at masking his true feelings by talking about food, but he knows the younger man’s got a good heart below all his silliness.  “You look really tired, though,” Luffy says, pulling back enough to look at him, and the change in his attitude catches Sanji off-guard.  Yeah, Luffy and Ace aren’t blood-related, but there are time they act eerily similar and this outright concern is something he’s much more used to Ace doing.  . 

“He’s right.  You look like you’re gonna pass out,” Usopp puts in and Sanji shakes his head, trying to clear it.  Yes, he’s tired, but he thinks it’s understandable given everything that’s happened to him in the past few days.  And truth be told, he hasn’t slept that well since the night he’d spent with Law.  And that still rankles a little, not because it was _uncomfortable_ to sleep curled up with another guy, but precisely because it _wasn’t._ He keeps telling himself that it didn’t matter, because he’d been so damn cold anybody with actual body heat would have done, but since then he’d been piling his bed with as many blankets as he could and putting a heater in his bedroom and _still_ can’t sleep because he’s shivering so badly. 

“Nah, I’m fine,” he says instead, giving them both a smile and standing up.  “And I need to go grab some fruit from the market,” he decides, because it’ll give him a chance to get away from their scrutiny for a bit.  Hell, if _Luffy_ can see it, it’s got to be pretty noticeable. 

He leaves the restaurant and takes off down the street, feeling no threat in broad daylight, but the rather large dog that darts into an alley a few feet in front of him catches his eye since strays really didn’t linger in this area of town. 

Still, it’s just a dog, he thinks as he wanders down the street.  Nothing to be concerned about.  .

000

In the end, it’s his own fault.  He’s heading home from the corner store a couple of nights later, figuring a few minutes alone out on the streets won’t be a problem, when suddenly he finds himself held off the ground by a hand with claws instead of normal nails, a snarling half-animal face blocking his vision. 

The vampire in him comes to the surface instantly and he can _feel_ it trying to take over, his teeth lengthening as he snarls at his attacker, and he hears the creature laugh in response. 

“Got ‘im.”

Sanji clutches at the arm holding him up, unable to do anything but feebly tug.  His airway’s being constricted to the point where his vision’s starting to go fuzzy and he tries to kick out.  His legs are quickly pinned, however, by the man bodily holding him to the wall, and he chokes out something with the last of his breath before the hand is suddenly released. 

“Lan’ sakes, you mangy mutt, you can’t just go about choking people!”

Sanji coughs a little, straightening up and blinking to see two men in front of him.  The one who’d first grabbed him looks more human now, although there’s still something animalistic about his smirk and the hunched way he’s standing.  The other is fully human, and from the look on his face rather unimpressed with his comrade. 

“We’re supposed to kill ‘em, though!  I had him right where I wanted ‘im!” the first man growls and the second sighs, glancing over at Sanji and narrowing his rather wide eyes. 

“Don’t run, lad.  We’ve got some business to attend to and if you run, I’m not going to save your hide again,” he says, and Sanji believes him, so he stays put.  “Let me deal with him for now.  He’s obviously not a full vamp or he wouldn’t look so terrified.”

“But Lucci…”

“I’ll handle Rob,” the man promises, scratching idly at the tip of his rather ridiculous nose (Sanji had thought Usopp had a weird nose, but this guy would have to win in _that_ department).  “You go off and play fetch.”

“Yer just jealous because you’ve got such a damn lame power…”

“I’m ignoring you now,” the man turns away and Sanji hears the first growl again before he shifts in a way that’s reminiscent of Marco, a gray wolf bounding down the street and out of sight.  “Now.  You _are_ a half-breed, yes?”

Sanji nods, feeling his teeth slide back into his mouth and down to normal size since he doesn’t feel threatened anymore.  He’s still confused, but if this man had wanted to kill him he’d be dead by now.  “How did you…?”

“Body heat, kid,” the man lifts up a contraption with flashing lights on it and grins.  “You’ve heard about ghost hunters and the like, yeah?  Well, this here device is an Infrared detector.  If something’s giving off heat, it’s gonna show.  You’re just a blooming great cold spot, which clues us in right quick that you’re not normal,” he drawls, and Sanji realizes that it’s a very effective way to _find_ half-breeds, at least. 

“So you…you’re Hunters?” he flattens himself against the wall and the man nods. 

“Aye, that we are.  I’m not usually in the business of slaughtering innocents, though, and you seem human enough.  ‘Cept for that thing,” he points at Sanji’s shadow, which is currently roiling in the way it only does when he’s frightened or unsure.  “Kaku, by the way,” he holds out a hand and Sanji shakes it hesitantly.  “Don’t worry, lad, I’m not gonna double-cross you.  You don’t have to look so scared.”

“Sanji.  And I’m sorry,” Sanji reaches up to his throat and sighs, still a little shaken up.  “It’s just that I’ve heard your bunch isn’t nice to half-breeds as a general rule.”

“We’re not a hive-mind, much as I think our boss would like us to be,” the man shrugs.  “Some of us are more ruthless than others, sure, but if you haven’t done anything wrong, I don’t think it’s right to kill you.”

“I think I’m glad you found me before anybody else, then,” Sanji’s starting to relax, lighting up a cigarette to hide how his hands are trembling, and Kaku blinks slowly at him before he turns smartly on his heel. 

 “I should go.  It wouldn’t do to be seen fraternizing with you out here in the open, but I meant what I said about not wanting you to be needlessly killed,” he promises, and Sanji thinks he shouldn’t trust this man so easily but there’s something surprisingly earnest about him.  “I’ll no doubt see you ‘round,” he takes a step back and Sanji pauses, thinking back to what the wolf-man had said before leaving. 

“Hey.  What’s your…you’re a hybrid?” he asks, and Kaku grins.  “What kind of animal…”

“Maybe one day I’ll show you.  I’ll try to contact you when I’m off-duty and see if we can’t figure out a way to get the rest of my team offa your tail,” he waves before running off, springing up onto the rooftops in a way that has Sanji checking to see that he’s not part kangaroo, but he’s not transforming so apparently this is normal. 

He sighs and leans back again, trying to steady his hand when he lifts the cigarette to his mouth.  The weariness in his limbs is getting heavier and he can barely keep his eyes open, like something’s sapping all the strength from his body.  It’s disconcerting, but there are more important things to worry about than a momentary weakness and he decides to take a detour to Law’s to get his advice.  After all, if Kaku’s a hybrid, that means Law would know him, so it seems like the best way to find out if he’s really trustworthy.  

000

“Really now,” Law strokes his chin thoughtfully, eyes half-narrowed.  He’s fairly sure Kaku’s not lying, all things considered, since he was about the most…normal of the CP9 members he’d examined.  There was still an almost childlike naivety about him the rest of his team had lost, and having somebody deeper inside than Law as an ally would only benefit them all in the long run. 

“He’s a hybrid, so I thought…” Sanji shrugs, eyelids drooping as he slumps over Law’s table.  “Fuck, almost getting choked takes a lot out of you,” he chuckles, and there’s something in the way that he looks right now that’s worrying Law.  Exhaustion is one thing, but there’s a sunken-ness to Sanji’s eyes and an almost waxy pallor to his skin that’s far too reminiscent of an actual vampire. 

“How long have you been feeling tired?” he asks instead, and Sanji glances up at him and blinks. 

“It’s nothing.  I get run pretty ragged at the restaurant plus the stress of this whole…” he waves his hand idly.  “Why?  Is something wrong?”

Law frowns, unsure how to word this because truth be told it’s only a hypothesis in _his_ mind.  Yes, Sanji had told him that not all half-breeds needed blood on a regular basis, but everything he’s showing right now is akin to what Law’s seen in people suffering from anemia.  It doesn’t exactly help that he’s not equipped to deal with it at the present time, either, since it’s not like he keeps tubes of blood on-hand.

“Hey, I just need to sleep for a while and then…” Sanji stops suddenly, sucking in a breath of air, and Law looks up to find that the man’s shadow has apparently taken on a life of its own, creeping across the floor toward Law’s normal one.  The instant the creeping smear of black touches his, he feels like he’s been doused in ice-water, breath quickening and unable to even more as it wraps around his shadow on the floor, spiraling up the legs of the chair he’s seated on.  “Oh fuck.  No.  Don’t do that, what’re you…”

The shadow ignores Sanji completely, and a second later the blond stops and shudders.  When he looks up again his eyes are black, a glint of red from deep within them, and he snarls as his teeth elongate.  Law can _feel_ Kikoku humming, reacting to the presence of the dark creature, but he’d stupidly left the sword in his bedroom and now he’s utterly helpless. 

It’s all he can to do yelp when Sanji leaps across the table, knocking the chair he’s on over and sending them both to the floor, and Sanji’s shadow is creeping over him now, leaving cold trails wherever it touches.  He tries to push himself away somehow but Sanji grabs his wrists, pinning him to the floor, and leans down so his teeth are scraping along the side of Law’s neck. 

It’s horrible, not only knowing that he’s going to die _like this,_ but being unable to even defend himself.  He closes his eyes and waits for the inevitable end, for the blood to drain from his body, but suddenly the cold feeling is gone and when he dares to look up Sanji’s eyes are normal again.  He looks as terrified as Law feels, arms shaking, and when Law tries to sit up there’s a brief moment of hesitation before he slumps onto the other man’s body, shivering madly. 

“Law…Law, what…” he gasps out before going limp, eyes glassy and half-closed and his body like ice, and Law doesn’t know what it means because vampires can’t _die,_ exactly, but maybe half-vamps can and that alone spurs him into action.  He lifts up the blond as if he weighs nothing, and he’s certainly far lighter than any human his size would be, and counts on the adrenaline rush he’s currently feeling to help him find a way through this. 

000

“What’s…”

“Drink it,” Law’s tone implies he’s not taking ‘no’ for an answer and Sanji’s still barely half-awake, so he opens his mouth and takes in the liquid.  It’s thin and slightly salty but he doesn’t find it unpleasant, and he licks his lips afterward, feeling an unusual warmth spread through him.  “Hmm, what’s…”

“What do you remember?” Law asks softly, and Sanji blinks at him before thinking about it. 

“We were in your kitchen, and…” he pauses, glancing around because this looks like a medical lab and is certainly _not_ Law’s kitchen, but he figures an explanation will come in due time.  “Oh, fuck.  I attacked you, didn’t I?” his memory on _that_ is a little hazy, but he remembers feeling this surge of power inside of him, like a caged animal trying to break free, and it was as if he was a prisoner in his own body for a time.  He’d eventually wrenched control back from the vampire side of himself _somehow,_ but the effort had apparently caused him to black out because he didn’t remember anything after that.  He can still _feel_ the vampire, this darker presence in his mind, but it’s barely a tickle at the back of his consciousness so whatever had caused it to erupt is gone now. 

“You did,” Law’s busy cleaning up some of the vials he’d flung aside in his hurry to find what Sanji realizes now is blood, and while that _should_ gross him out he’s feeling a lot better now so he can’t even be too disgusted by it.  “Regardless, I’m unharmed, and I think you’ll be sated for a while…”

Sanji’s about to reply, to ask for more clarification, when he hears a low chuckle and a shape takes off from one of the high shelves, cooing loudly.  When it lands, Sanji can see that it’s a rather oversized pigeon (wearing a _tie,_ of all things), and the look on Law’s face tells Sanji all he needs to know that, for whatever reason, the pigeon means trouble.  Sanji’s never seen Law look scared before, not even from the dim memory he had of pinning him against the kitchen floor, but he certainly looks it now.

“Well, well, well, Doctor Trafalgar.  Bringing in strays now, are we?”

The voice makes Sanji shiver, curling around him like poisoned silk, and his breath catches when he turns to the side.  The speaker, as it turns out, is a rather handsome leopard with distinct marking around its eyes, but Sanji knows instantly it’s a hybrid. 

“You do realize how many rules you’re breaking,” the cat continues, tail swishing lazily, but there’s something tense about its whole body, a coiled spring waiting to release, and Sanji knows one wrong move on his part could mean the end.  “Your lovely interns could come in tomorrow to find your shredded body lying on the ground, you know.  A rather unfortunate accident, I’d tell them, even though I’d be well within my rights,” he speaks the entire thing without any change in the tone of his voice, as casual as if he were discussing the weather and not ripping a man to pieces, and that alone tells Sanji this is not a man to be messed with. 

“I don’t have time for this right now, Lucci,” Law sounds _murderous_ and Sanji wonders just what kind of history these two have, but the cat shrugs in a very human-like way and morphs, although the man left in its place is no less intimidating. 

“So I see.  It’s a rather good thing I’ve already been told this one’s not to be harmed, isn’t it?” Lucci settles himself back against an examination table, feline grace still evident in every line of his body despite his human form, but the knowing smirk never leaves his lips.  The pigeon comes to settle on his shoulder, cooing softly. 

“You’ve been…” Law looks confused, brow furrowed, and Lucci sighs.               

“Yes.  My partner.  I _do_ owe him a favor and this is the one he’s called in, and while I might not understand it, far be it from me to try and decipher that boy’s whims.  It may prove advantageous to us in the long run regardless,” he murmurs, and Sanji’s wracking his brain trying to figure out _why somebody would save him._ Lucci’s name sounds vaguely familiar, like he’s heard it recently, and it comes to him with a jolt that the two mean earlier that evening had mentioned him, so that means…

“It’s a damn good thing Mr. Blackleg here ran into him earlier,” Law figures it out at the same time and Lucci lets out a vaguely amused chuckle, but even that sounds seems dark coming from his mouth.  “Still, you’re not one to go against the wishes of your superiors.  What’s the catch?”

“You’re too smart for your own good, you know that?” Lucci stands up and crosses his arms, jerking his head toward a side room.  “Come.  I need to be sure nobody’s watching,” he slinks off toward the room, feet making no sound even on the tiled floor, and Law follows after a moment and a quick glance back to Sanji, who gets a rather strong feeling that he’s not invited for this. 

“Cripes, lad, I had no idea you’d be causing us trouble _that_ quickly.”

Sanji looks up in surprise, body still a little too weak for him to jump up the way he wants to, but the speaker in question is perched on top of one of the high shelves of medical equipment and he backflips off of it, landing without so much as a wobble on the ground and tipping his baseball cap toward Sanji cordially.  “I, um, guess I owe you a pretty big thank-you…”

“Nah, don’t worry about it.  Rob’s a little…abrupt, maybe, but he’s still not the type to hurt innocents, half-breeds or not.  We’ve cultivated a reputation, all right, and it’s not unfounded, but that doesn’t mean we’re monsters,” he laughs and Sanji’s trying desperately to figure out how somebody with as cheery a disposition as Kaku seems prone to can work with somebody as dark as Lucci.  “They’ll be talking for a while, I wager, but Rob gave me his word he’s not gonna touch you,” he says this as if it’s supposed to reassure Sanji, but he hardly knows Lucci well enough for it to make any impact. 

“What’s going on?” he asks instead, hoping for _some_ answers, and Kaku scratches idly at his ridiculous nose and shrugs. 

“I’ve got an inkling, but best wait for them to hash it out,” he suggests, which doesn’t leave Sanji a whole lot of choice.  He pulls out a cigarette and lights it, knowing he probably shouldn’t but not giving a damn at the moment. 

“So…” he blows out some smoke.  “A leopard and a wolf.  Pretty appropriate for you so-called Hunters.”

“That they are,” Kaku agrees, tone utterly neutral.  “And no, I’m still not telling you what my hybrid form is,” he adds in the exact same voice, Sanji huffing a little irritation because, of course, that’s exactly what he wanted to ask.  “However, I’m open to anything else you want to ask about your current state,” he offers, and Sanji thinks that getting advice from a guy who kills people like him for a living is kind of fucked up, but then, he’s getting used to his life turning out a little strange. 

“Okay,” he sighs and looks down at his hands, reaching up to remove the cigarette from his mouth and blow some more smoke before he says anything more.  He frowns then, the cigarette loosely gripped between two fingers as he holds it off to the side and asks, “Why me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. If you’ve read any of my other fics, you’ll know that I love CP9 and so I had to find a way to insert them into the story somehow and it ended up being rather easy. 
> 
> 2\. I don’t have much more to say this time around, but thank you to everybody that’s been reading this and I hope you’re still enjoying it!


	5. Chapter 5

“I’m surprised you even helped him in the first place,” Lucci’s leaning back against an examination table, no hint of emotion in his eyes at Law’s story.  “Considering what happened to your mentor…”

“It would be rash of me to blame an entire species on the actions of one,” Law replies tersely.  He’s never liked Lucci, particularly, because the other man’s breed of justice is merciless and, as a doctor, he’s too interested in saving lives to condone wasting them the way Lucci’s wont to.  “Besides, the creatures that attacked him were so far gone that human reasoning would have been beyond them.  It would be like blaming animals for attacking somebody who wandered into their territory,” he looks pointedly at Lucci and he can tell that the subtle jibe is not lost.   He doesn’t speak about Corazon much, but a big part of the reason he stays with the government is to fill the other man’s shoes.  He’d been forced to grow up rather quickly the day they’d discovered his body, drained of all blood, and while part of him still suspects it was no mere accident, he’s never had any proof to say otherwise. 

“Still,” Lucci lets out a hum that sounds rather like a pleased purr and Law swiftly changes the subject. 

“So why are you showing him mercy?  I didn’t expect you to know the meaning of the word,” he finally seats himself, feeling too off-balance pacing when Lucci looks so content, but that earns him the slightest twitch of the older man’s eyebrow which tells Law that it’s not something Lucci’s entirely okay with. 

“As I said, I’m merely repaying a debt.  We were cleaning out a nest the other night and I’d let my guard down for the slightest of seconds,” he growls and Law’s betting he takes this as a personal affront.  “So yes, I owe the boy one for getting us both out of there alive, but more than that it’s something I’ve thought about, too.  Kaku might be a bleeding heart but he’s still got a decent head on his shoulders, and this time he’s right.”

Law blinks slowly, waiting for the other man to continue.  

“Spandam.  He’s becoming increasingly obsessed with eradicating vampires, but lately his efforts have been focused on half-breeds like your little friend there.  Some of them are dangerous, yes, depending on how far the Turning has gone, but most of them could still pass for human and while I’m perfectly fine with doling justice out to those who had done wrong, harming innocents is another matter entirely.  We’ve been collectively trying to divert his attention back to full vampires but while he’s a useless weakling, he’s stubborn and he’s got full power to command us,” his shoulders hunch like a cat bristling its fur, and Law thinks he knows where this is going. 

“Strange,” he murmurs, shifting Kikoku over his shoulder.  “Mr. Blackleg and I were just discussing this the other evening, and we both assumed the government would want to cover up how human a lot of half-breeds are.”

“They do.  But Moria keeps gaining power and coercing the full vampires to his side, and to have us gallivanting about the city using infrared detectors to find people who are no more likely to do harm than common criminals is a waste of our abilities.  That’s why we have a police force,” he sniffs rather disdainfully.  “If we can convince Spandam, or his superiors, that half-breeds aren’t a threat, they’ll remove that as part of our duties and we can concentrate on the real threat to our safety,” he explains, and Law nods slowly.  It does make sense, after all, and he’s not at all surprised that the government’s top intelligence branch came to the conclusion long before any of their superiors did. 

“So you want me to…prove he’s human?  Or close enough?” he guesses, and Lucci nods once. 

“Yes.  If we can prove to the higher-ups that half-breeds like him are not only genetically similar to humans, but in control of their own mental facilities and capable of reason, that will remove them as a threat.  Hell, the thing with Marco happened twenty years ago and I’ve not seen or heard a single thing that paints him as dangerous,” he narrows his eyes and Law nods.  “You don’t have to like me, Doctor Trafalgar, but I believe our interests coincide this time around.  That you and this boy already are friendly is only an asset to our plan.”

“Indeed,” Law murmurs, knowing that it’s the best chance Sanji has to get a sort of protection from the government.  The incident earlier tonight had been worrisome, but the fact he’d been able to wrench control back from the vampire even when he was _that_ far gone is encouraging.  Yes, he might need blood now and again, but it’s truly no different than any other person who needs medicine, and blood is infinitely easier to come by than some drugs. 

“So, we have a deal?” there’s a predatory glint in Lucci’s eyes, but Law’s mostly convinced it’s just because he _looks_ like that and not because he’s actually scheming something.  He holds out his hand and Law shakes it quickly, a little surprised when the oversized pigeon hops onto his shoulder and coos in his ear.  “Hattori likes you.  That already bodes well.”

Law doesn’t reply, but there’s a part of him that’s at least a little lighter when they enter the main part of the lab again.

000

“Don’t go thinking you’re special, lad,” Kaku laughs and Sanji looks over in surprise  “It’s a stroke of luck you and Law know each other, but honestly, I just picked you because you’re the most human half-vamp we’ve run into in a long time.”

“So what are they…”

“Let them figure it out,” Kaku seats himself on the table next to Sanji, all lanky limbs and a strange sort of awkward grace.  “I wouldn’t worry, though.  I might have called in a favor with Rob but we’ve discussed it before and he agrees with me, so I don’t see going unexpectedly,” his words are vague but Sanji’s just mildly impressed that _anybody_ would try to ask a favor out of the man he’d seen earlier. 

He must have mumbled something out loud because Kaku chuckles and nods.  “Ah, he’s not _that_ scary once you get to know him.  But we were out on patrol a few nights ago and I saved him from some particularly persistent vampires.  Maybe I’m the only one he’ll do it for, but he knows when to let go of his pride to thank me,” he explains, and Sanji gets the feeling that Kaku might be damn near as dangerous as Lucci, even if he seems much nicer about it.

“You’ve…known him for a long time?” he asks, wondering how open the other man’s likely to be, but he figures it’s better to talk about _something_ as opposed to just waiting for Law to come back.   

“Aye, since I was a kid.  The government picks up orphans they feel have potential and sends them to a training facility, and if you’re good enough, eventually you’ll become what we are,” he says this with far more seriousness than Sanji’s heard from him so far.  “It’s not a bad life by any means, but none of us know any different.  Sometimes I wonder what things could have been like if I’d have been able to pick my own path, but…” he shrugs.  “No use crying over spilled milk.”

“I’m…not sure what it says about the government that they have a secret facility for training assassins,” Sanji points out, and Kaku barks a laugh at that.

“Well, it might not be as big a bone of contention if our only job were to keep the streets clear of vampires, but I daresay somewhere along the way that goal’s gotten skewed.  Which, I think, is what our comrades are discussing, but again, I’m not going to touch that until they come out,” he says firmly.  “We’re not _actually_ called ‘Hunters’, either, but the public seems to have an affinity for that so it stuck.  It’s much catchier than ‘Cipher Pol Number Nine,’ at any rate,” he points out, and Sanji has to admit he’s got a point.  “We go by CP9 around here, though, so if you hear anybody talking about that, you know who we are.”

Sanji has a feeling Kaku’s said all he’s going to on _that_ particular topic, so he asks, “What about hybrids?  I mean, I’ve met a few of you now, and I know Law has to clear you medically before they can…experiment, but…”

“Yes.  Well.  As far as I know, nobody he’s ever cleared has had issues,” Kaku looks vaguely impressed at that.  “Of course there have been…failures, and our scientists have been unable to recreate any of the hybrid combinations which is where the real mystery comes in.  I’m not sure if they use specific animal DNA or something else that reacts directly to an individual’s body, but otherwise I’m quite sure we’d have an entire army of predatory beasts on our team.  And unless I was chosen to be the butt of a great cosmic joke, I’d daresay the scientists don’t even _know_ what animal we’ll gain the powers of until it happens.  Rob and Jyabura are well-suited to their animals based on their personalities, so maybe it’s got something to do with that, but me…” he laughs and pulls his cap a little farther over his eyes, and Sanji wonders briefly if the government should really be fucking with things like DNA modification if they have no idea what they’re doing. 

But then, it’s been going on for twenty years at least, and if Law’s got that good of a record, maybe it’s as safe as it can be. 

And Kaku, the bastard, still isn’t telling him what animal he can turn into. 

“So I’m just lucky, huh?” Sanji says then, trying to work through everything he’s been told, and Kaku nods. 

“Well, maybe not so lucky to have gotten bitten, but as of now…I’d say so, lad,” he pats Sanji’s shoulder and Sanji’s not quite sure if he sees it that way, but Law and Lucci come back out then and once they’ve explained everything to him it doesn’t take him long to agree. 

He can deal with a few tests, if it means he doesn’t have to constantly be on guard. 

It’s preferable to getting his throat ripped out, anyway, and from the look in Lucci’s eyes, he has a feeling that’s what would happen if he’d have refused. 

000

He’s not sure how he ended up here. 

Well, that’s a lie, because he knows exactly _how_ he ended up here, but he never thought he’d be sharing a bed with another man again.  Especially not…in this way.  Law’s looking at him strangely, unblinking, one hand cupping Sanji’s jaw and his thumb running almost hypnotically over the ridge of the younger man’s cheekbone.  He shifts his hand a little then, frowning, before removing it entirely and Sanji’s almost sad about the loss because Law’s skin is _warm,_ if nothing else. 

“Your heartbeat’s slower than average, but hardly abnormal.  I would have expected it to be a lot lower based on your body temperature,” he intones coolly, but Sanji knows damn well that was about more than checking his pulse. 

“Try again,” he growls, and Law looks at him in confusion.

“I’m not sure what else you want me to say…”

“Tch.  Whatever,” Sanji burrows down into the pillow, closing his eyes and trying to sleep.  He feels his shadow creeping over Law again and tries to will it back, and maybe it’s just because he’s had blood so the need isn’t as prevalent, but it actually seems to listen to him.  He still feels wrong about going to bed pissed off, though, so eventually he sighs and looks up to find that Law’s still staring at him, yellow eyes almost glowing in the darkness of the room.  “You know what I’m talking about.”

“I do,” Law affirms.  “And I apologize.  But truly, I meant nothing by it.  I was lost in thought.  If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll refrain from physical contact unless absolutely necessary.  I’m not that inclined to it regardless,” he sounds and looks genuine, at least, and Sanji feels horrible for assuming that just because he’s a guy that means Law wants to fuck him.  He _knows_ it doesn’t work that way, but he’s not doing a good job of explaining that right now. 

“It’s fine,” and pushes himself up a little.  “And I trust you, or else I wouldn’t agree to you doing tests on me, government pardon or not.  But I’m not…” he sighs and flops back down, closing his eyes and groaning, because now he sounds like he’s homophobic or something and doesn’t want Law touching him at _all,_ which wasn’t his goal. 

“I understand,” Law sounds ice-cold again and Sanji feels like he’s somehow erased all of the progress he’s made with the other man.  It shouldn’t matter so much, maybe, but if they’re going to be spending a lot of time together he’s going to enjoy it a Hell of a lot more if there’s not this weird tension between them.  And, well, he’s not too afraid to admit that Law…yeah, he’s attractive, in a dark and brooding way, and it’s…he _knows_ he’s hopeless around women, and that he can barely be touched by one without turning into a blubbering pile of hearts, but it’s not like that with Law.  And it’s not as if he feels disgust or anything, it’s just…unexpected, because nobody’s ever touched him like that, whether it was intentional or not. 

He’s too tired to think about it anymore, he decides, huffing slightly before turning back toward Law and poking his shoulder. 

“What?”

“It’s okay,” he says softly, and Law looks up in surprise.  “If you want to…touch me, I’m okay with it.  I’ll be warmer anyway,” he adds, which just sounds like a lame excuse, and he wonders absently why he feels the need to excuse it at all.   

“I’m only a man of my word, Mr. Blackleg,” Law murmurs, and Sanji marvels at how easily they fit together, his head tucked under Law’s chin and the older man’s arms warm around his shoulders.  It’s nice, or at least it’s warm, and Sanji figures that if it gets him a good night’s sleep he’ll gladly put up with it.  “So I thought we could get started this weekend.  Or whenever you have a day off…”

“Never.  That shitty old geezer has me there seven days a week, and I don’t have the heart to tell him that I’m…” Sanji shrugs.  “He hasn’t noticed my shadow yet, I don’t think, but usually I get afternoons off because nobody comes in between lunch and dinner.”

“Good enough,” Law decides with a shrug, and Sanji lets his eyes close again. 

“Now, can we stop talking and get some fucking sleep?” he grumbles, and Law’s response is a low chuckle that tells Sanji he’s in full agreement.  He’s still not sure what all of this means, or how Law really feels about him, but maybe it doesn’t matter that much since what he’d said is true: he _does_ trust Law. 

But he’s had a long day, and had a lot of information shoved at him, and he can’t process anything else right now.  He yawns and sinks into a sort of half-slumber almost instantly, knowing that at least for tonight he’ll be able to sleep.

000

Law, however, is not so lucky. 

Yes, he honestly hadn’t meant to be so forward, and his…feelings toward Sanji, at this point, are not anything more than a desire to keep him safe.  He’s not even sure _why_ he feels this way, because even though he’s a doctor his bedside manner has always been fairly brusque and it’s not as if he normally goes out of his way to do more than necessary to heal a person.  It’s not something he wants to think especially deeply about at this point, but having Sanji curled up on his chest, breathing evenly and looking a lot better than he had earlier in the evening, makes him feel _good_ and he knows immediately that it’s dangerous. 

He’s quite sure his mind would be happy to run in circles all night, keeping him from sleeping at all, but he feels something creeping over his legs and peers under the blanket, seeing Sanji’s shadow curling around his body.  Unlike before, it’s not ice-cold, but rather like tendrils of cool morning mist and he feels no threat from it. 

“Hey,” Sanji mumbles, one hand lightly slapping against the side of Law’s neck.  “Go t’ sleep.  I can hear you thinking from over here,” he burrows closer, seeking warmth, and Law takes a last look at the ceiling before deciding that maybe some things don’t need to be over-analyzed. 

This, he thinks as he lets his eyes close and his fingers slide through Sanji’s hair, might just be one of them. 

000

Sanji’s still there when he wakes up the next morning, propped up on one elbow and looking at him like he’s thinking deeply about something.  Law feels more than a little out of his element because he’s _never_ woken up next to somebody before, not like this, and they stare at each other for a minute or two before Sanji blinks and flops back down on the pillows. 

“What is it?” Law asks quietly, unwilling to break the stillness of the moment, and Sanji turns to study him again. 

“Last night,” he says quietly.  “If I hadn’t…stopped myself, what would have happened?” he looks afraid of the answer, and Law feels slightly bad that his next words are hardly going to be reassuring for the young man. 

“I imagine, if you would have hit my jugular with your fangs, I would have bled out long before you’d have come back to your senses and called for help,” his voice is remarkably steady considering the subject matter, and he can see Sanji flinch before the other man turns to him, raising one arm hesitantly before dropping it around Law’s shoulders and holding it there.  It’s a poor excuse for an embrace, maybe, but Sanji seems rather unwilling to touch him and Law’s still not sure if it’s because he’s a man or if it’s because Sanji’s not sure it’s wanted. 

“Law, I…”

“Don’t,” Law curls his own arm over Sanji’s slim waist, sighing.  “It all worked out better than I could have imagined, and regardless, now that you know what it feels like, you’ll be able to catch it before the bloodlust consumes you.  I’ve got plenty of blood samples at the lab and I know which ones are clean, so you never have to worry about finding sustenance,” he’s attempting to be reassuring but from the way Sanji’s nose wrinkles he can tell the other man’s still not entirely comfortable drinking blood. 

“But you think…do you think I could Turn you?” Sanji questions and Law has to admit that it’s been something he’s wondered about as well, but he’d been telling the truth when he’d said that his experience with half-breeds was minimal at best. 

“I honestly don’t know.  Perhaps you can talk to your phoenix friend about that, though, because I’m quite sure he’s the leading authority on half-breeds at the moment,” he suggests, and Sanji nods after a minute. 

“Yeah.  Ace should be around the restaurant today so I’ll get him to give Marco a call.  Um,” he pulls his arm away then, cheeks reddening a little (and Law has to smirk because, undead or not, he apparently has enough of his own blood left in his body to _blush)._ “Do you want breakfast?”

“If it’s not too much of a hassle,” he tries to keep his voice neutral but honestly, even after only trying it twice, he doesn’t think he could ever say no to Sanji’s cooking. 

“Okay.  I’ll start on that,” Sanji sits up before looking back down at him.  “Thanks again.  For last night.  You didn’t have to save me.”

“Of course I did,” Law brushes the words away because that makes it _twice_ now he’s likely saved the other man and he doesn’t want to think about what it means that he’d do it again in a heartbeat. 

“Still.  Thanks,” Sanji gets out of bed then and leaves the bedroom without looking back, and Law flops back down on the pillow and rubs his hands over his eyes. 

“I’m fucked, aren’t I?” he asks nobody in particular, but the answering hum from Kikoku is confirmation enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Yes, this is a rather fast update for me, but I had inspiration for this fic and wrote a lot over the past couple of days so I thought I would post it. 
> 
> 2\. Thanks again to everybody that’s left feedback, and please feel free to let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

“Ace said you wanted to talk to me, yoi,” Marco lands on the rail beside him, nearly giving Sanji a heart attack (if vampires can get heart attacks, that is.  He’s not sure), and the other man is balancing with perfect ease on the thin bar, crouched over with his legs still bird-like and his talons gripped around it.  There’s nobody else around, of course, because Sanji’s still never seen Marco transform when there’s any risk of being seen, but he’s not entirely used to it yet. 

“Yeah.  Did he tell you what happened?” Sanji asks softly, and Marco nods. 

“The basics.  Obviously I’d be a hypocrite if I judged you for allowing yourself to be a government guinea pig, but it _is_ the best way to keep safe,” he nods.  “And as for needing blood…that’s something that I guess is different for everybody.  I always know when I do, but it happens so rarely that I can ignore it for a long time,” he sighs.  “Honestly, I don’t remember if it was more…severe at the beginning because it was so long ago, but as long as you can catch it early, you should be fine, yoi.”

“Yeah, that’s what Law guessed, too,” Sanji admits, lighting up a cigarette and glancing up at Marco.  “But that’s not what I needed advice on.  I really wanted to know…if I bit somebody, what would happen?”

“Either you kill them or you don’t,” Marco says quickly and Sanji thinks that’s about the simplest answer he could receive.  “We can’t Turn people because we’re not full vampires,” he continues, and for some reason that news is about the most reassuring thing he could have said.  Sanji’s more than a little relived he could never subject anybody to what he’s going through.  “But vampire saliva has healing properties, so there’s not much danger of taking too much blood unless you’re so far gone you don’t realize it.”

“Have you ever…” he isn’t actually sure if he wants to know the answer to this, but Marco shrugs. 

“Not often.  But I’ve had…partners who found it somewhat erotic,” he says in a low voice and Sanji blinks because while there’s a part of him that realizes how it _could_ be, he thinks that somebody would have to be into some pretty kinky shit to get off on literally having their blood drained.  There’s also a fiercely protective surge in him at the words, even though he _knows_ that Marco’s probably twice his age or more, but the off-hand way he talked about these past partners made him feel sorry for Ace more than anything.  Marco seems to catch onto this, somehow, and he reaches to pat Sanji’s shoulder.  “I really like him, yoi.  I know I’m going to outlive anybody I get involved with, which is why I don’t do it very often, but Ace just…I’m drawn to him, somehow.  There’s this fire inside of him that I can’t stay away from, and I promise that I’ll never hurt him.”

Sanji believes him without really knowing why, but then, it’s up to Ace if he’s choosing to get involved knowing Marco’s history, so it’s probably not his place to say anything further. 

“So,” Marco hops off of the railing, trailing flame from his arms as he lands gracefully on the ground, “is there a table at your restaurant for me?  I don’t think Ace is gonna shut up until I actually _try_ your food, yoi,” he grins and Sanji blows out some smoke but smiles back. 

“Yeah.  C’mon.”

000

“Doctor, you’re alive!”

Law makes a rather strange squawking sound at the impact of three bodies barreling into him, especially since he’s being lifted off the ground with the force of the hug, and he shoves against the arms encircling him until they let him go. 

“We were so worried!  Your lab…”

And oh.  Yes.  It’s not as if he’d cleaned up the night before after his mad dash to find blood for Sanji, and he’s sure there’s still papers and vials littered all over the floor.  Anybody would be suspicious, especially since he normally kept things in perfect condition. 

“I’m fine,” he promises, and his interns breathe twin sighs of relief.  Penguin and Shachi are good sorts, if a little over-enthusiastic at times, but he trusts them and he knows they’re far more loyal to him than to the government as a whole.  The third occupant of the room shuffles around a bit, black nose sniffing the air before he walks closer again.  “Bepo, what are you doing here?” he asks, and the polar bear shrugs.  Bepo, for all intents and purposes, doesn’t exist, because he’s a failed experiment.  Permanently stuck in hybrid form, it would be impossible for him to go about life as a human, but it’s not like he could live in the wild, either, so he mostly sticks close to Law’s lab since everybody in the government complex knows about the hybrid experiments.  Law’s not exactly sure who’d given him clearance to undergo the hybrid experiments, because there had been a few doctors between his mentor and him finally being old enough to take over (and the fact that most of them had met with bad ends is something he tries not to think too deeply about for…obviously reasons), but Bepo’s taken to him for some reason. 

“They told me something bad might have happened.  I had to make sure…” Bepo shifts from foot to foot before hugging him rather enthusiastically again, and Law sighs in a long-suffering way and scratches the bear behind his ears.  Bepo’s eyes close as he sighs happily, but then they snap open again and he sniffs the air again.  “I smell cat.”

“Lucci,” Law doesn’t even need to look around to know he’s there, because the hairs on the back of his neck are standing up and the other man’s presence still makes his skin crawl. 

“Dr. Trafalgar,” Lucci always says his title like it’s some sort of slur, and Law glowers at the leopard as he morphs into his human form.  “I’ve taken it upon myself to inform you that you’ve been given the go-ahead to do your…testing,” he smirks and Law’s almost surprised that he hasn’t spilled the beans about Sanji entirely and left him explaining to his interns why he’s helping a vampire.  He gets the feeling Lucci wouldn’t pass up any chance to make him squirm, but he’s being surprisingly civil.

“That was quick.  I didn’t think Spandam would go for it.”

“Oh, I didn’t go to Spandam.  At least, not directly.  You see, our dear Director, despite leading a team that does almost nothing but confront vampires, is deathly afraid of them.  Or of anybody that _looks_ like them,” he grins, and Law narrows his eyes in confusion.  “Maybe I should have just gotten you to do it yourself, because he seems particularly perturbed by yellow eyes…” and Law knows immediately who he’s talking about, because there’s only one other man with golden eyes he can think of. 

“I didn’t think Mihawk did favors for _anybody,”_ he leans back against the table and Lucci shrugs. 

“As he told me, he was ‘bored’, so perhaps I got lucky.  But then, all he had to do was _look_ at Spandam for him to turn into a twitching mass on the ground, so I doubt he was exerting himself too much.  Regardless of how it happened, you’re cleared, so I’d suggest you take advantage of it because if Spandam decides to revoke his decision I’m not betting on him helping us out again,” he warns, and Law nods.  It’s fine by him, after all, but so far this has gone smoother than he’d expected.  “Good,” he turns smartly on his heel and strides out, that damn pigeon fluttering down from the rafters somewhere to land on his shoulder, and Law’s not sorry to see him go. 

Yes, the bastard can be useful and Law probably should be grateful, but…

“Fuck,” he mutters as he realizes Lucci might not have _told_ his interns and Bepo that he’s helping a vampire, but they’ll be curious enough now that they won’t let it go unless he tells them anyway. 

He really hates that man. 

000

He’s not really expecting company, but when there’s a knock at his door later on that evening and he opens it to find Sanji there, cigarette held between his lips and looking mildly uncomfortable with an overnight bag slung around his shoulders.  “Hey.”

“I do trust you have your own house, Mr. Blackleg,’ he keeps his tone mild because, while he’s not opposed to Sanji being here, the other man sharing his bed on a regular basis is _not_ going to be good for his self-control. 

“Yeah,” Sanji leans against the doorframe, hands in his pockets, and his shadow is already trying to creep across the floor and get closer to Law.  “Look, last night was the first decent sleep I’ve gotten since the night I got bitten, and with that old geezer running me ragged and me having to spend my spare time being a government guinea pig, I just can’t afford to be tired at work,” he says, and Law will admit that he’s got a point.  “If you don’t want me here, I’ll leave, but…”

“No, I don’t object to it,” Law waves his hand dismissively.  “I’ll consider you making breakfast payment for your room and board,” he adds, and Sanji grins at him and lights up his cigarette. 

“I can do that,” he promises, looking more comfortable now that he knows he’s welcome.  He kicks off his shoes and wanders in, looking unsure of himself. 

“You know where the guest bathroom is,” Law says idly.  “I’m going to shower but if you want to get ready for bed I’ll meet you in the bedroom once I’m done,” he doesn’t wait for a reply as he turns away, heading quickly into the master bathroom and locking the door behind him.  He slumps back against it and groans, rubbing his hands over his eyes.  Still, it’s not as if this is the _worst_ thing that could happen, and there’s a part of him that’s almost looking forward to it. 

Deciding that he’s not going to let it affect him, he strips off his clothes and hops into the shower, letting the warm water wash over his body. 

He knows self-control is impeccable. 

He’ll be fine. 

000

“So Marco told me…woah,” Sanji’s eyes widen at the sight of Law, fresh out of the shower and only wearing a towel around his waist.  He swallows heavily, because _damn,_ even though he’s been in the same bed as the other man he’d never noticed how toned he was under the baggy sweatshirts he always wore.  And, even more interesting than that were the tattoos covering most of Law’s arms and chest, and when Law turned around to grab a pair of pajama pants from his closet Sanji could see a large one on his back as well. 

“What?” Law looks over his shoulder before shrugging.  “Oh.  You haven’t seen these yet, have you?” he slides the pants on under the towel and then removes it, tossing it back into the bathroom and coming to sit on the bed.  Sanji’s hands are moving before he can stop them, resting on Law’s chest and idly tracing the swirls of the tribal-style heart there. 

Sanji’s not sure what he should say, because he feels like he’s crossed a major line here, but Law’s not moving away.  Sanji slides his hands up to rest on the swirled hearts on Law’s upper arms, biting his lip and frowning. 

“My mentor,” Law says quietly, the words almost too quiet to hear.  “His name was Corazon.  It’s the Spanish word for heart.  The smiley face was just a symbol he used on some of his medical equipment, so I modified it a little to make it my own.  He…he’s the reason I became a doctor.  He saved my life,” he murmurs, and Sanji can hear something in his voice that’s young and vulnerable and so _wrong,_ because Law’s not supposed to look unsure.  He slides his arms around Law without thinking, meaning it to be comforting but Law’s skin is hot from the heated shower water and the extra warmth means Sanji’s damn near crawling into his lap to soak up as much as he can. 

“What happened?” he asks, breathing a sigh of relief when Law hugs him back, nose pressed against Sanji’s neck. 

“Vampires.  He was ambushed,” he mumbles against Sanji’s skin, and Sanji freezes and tries to pull away.  “No.  It’s not your fault.”

“I’m sorry,” Sanji doesn’t know what else to say, but it’s obvious this man had meant a lot to Law because this is by far the most emotion he’s ever shown.  Law flops back on the bed, then, pulling Sanji with him, and Sanji shifts closer, telling himself it’s because of the warmth but knowing there’s more to it.  He’s always been empathetic, and nothing bothers him more than knowing somebody he likes is hurting but being unable to do anything about it. 

Law slides a hand down his back, fingers curling into his shirt, and Sanji sighs heavily. 

“So.  Got any tattoos I can’t see?”

Law chuckles then, not quite his normal sarcastic tone but it’s better than having that haunted look in his eyes.  “No.  What?  You don’t think I have enough?”

“I like them,” Sanji sits up a little, and he’s telling the truth.  He’s never been that big on tattoos in the past, at least not to the point he’d ever consider one, but Law’s are perfectly symmetrical and seem more an elaborate sort of artwork than just random symbols with no connection to each other.  It’s a unique sort of tribute, but somehow it suits Law perfectly. 

“Here, let me up and I’ll put a shirt on…”

“You don’t have to,” Sanji says immediately, flushing a little when Law’s eyes narrow.  “I mean…it’s warmer this way, and I’m…” he turns his face so Law can’t see his eyes, but he can feel his shadow sliding over Law again, tendrils stroking at the wavy lines of ink on his chest.  “Hey.  Stop that.”

“If you don’t mind, I’m fine with it,” he finally says, and Sanji breathes a sigh of relief that he’s not questioning him on this.  His feelings for Law are still confusing, and while his shadow seems certain of what it wants, and while he’s…pretty sure at this point that Law _does_ like him, he’s still a guy. 

And _Sanji’s_ pretty sure he’s only interested in girls. 

Law reaches over him to turn the lamp off, the room still partially lit from a streetlamp outside, and Sanji settles himself under the blankets, shivering even now until Law wraps him up and hooks his chin over Sanji’s shoulder, spooning him from behind. 

“What were you going to say earlier?” Law asks, and Sanji looks back at him. 

“Oh.  Marco told me that half-breeds can’t Turn anybody.  I could still have killed you, but…” he shrugs, because thinking about how close it was still scares him, and Law nods against his skin. 

“That’s good to know.  And will probably help us in the end,” he adds, and Sanji can see why _not_ being able to change people into monsters would bode well for their whole ‘trying to prove half-breeds are almost human’ thing.  “I was thinking we could start with a few tests tomorrow when you get a break.  Lucci informed me that somehow he’s gotten us clearance to go ahead with this, so I think it’s best to begin right away.”

“Yeah.  Sounds good,” Sanji can’t see any reason not to, after all, and he yawns and turns so his back is to Law again, feeling strangely at peace.  “Law, are you sure it’s not a problem if I…”

“If I had any issues with you staying here, I’d be sure to voice them,” Law’s tone implies that he wants the subject to be dropped, so Sanji nods and does so.  He wonders if he should feel guilty for invading Law’s house and leeching all his warmth, especially if Law _does_ like him because this can’t be comfortable for him if that’s the case, but…if Law says he’s okay with it, Sanji can’t really say anything to dispute that. 

He lets out a heavy sigh and Law holds him tighter, one hand splayed over his chest, and Sanji decides that maybe it’s time to stop rationalizing everything and just follow his instincts.  He carefully slides his own hand up over Law’s, curling his fingers between the other man’s and he hears Law’s breath hitch slightly before it evens out again. 

“You know what else Marco told me?” he’s not sure why he’s saying this, but the mood’s far too tense and he wants to lighten it a little.  Law doesn’t really answer, but he figures that’s enough of a go-ahead.  “Some half-vamps bite their lovers for fun.”

“I had no idea you were into that, Mr. Blackleg,” Law murmurs, but there’s a hint of amusement in his voice and Sanji knows it’s fine. 

“Never said I was.  Thought you might be, though, with all your tattoos and piercings.  You get off on pain?” he half turns and uses his free hand to cup Law’s cheek, lightly tapping Law’s double earrings. 

“Maybe I do,” Law’s eyes are a dark golden in the low light, and Sanji barely has time to squeak before Law flips him onto his back and straddles his hips, pinning his wrists above his head.  “Why?  Are you offering?” he asks, leaning forward, and Sanji gulps because _holy fuck_ he hadn’t been expecting Law to be so strong, first of all, and he whimpers a little because for some reason he’s finding this assertiveness really, really hot and he shouldn’t. 

There’s something heavy between them in that moment, both panting a little, and Sanji tilts his chin up when Law leans down further.  He doesn’t know what he’s asking for, or what he _wants,_ but despite being unable to move he doesn’t feel threatened at all.  Law rests his forehead against Sanji’s, closing his eyes and holding his position for a moment before he lets Sanji go and rolls off, covering his eyes with his hands and groaning softly.  “I’m sorry.  I should not have done that.  You’ve made it clear that you harbor no feelings toward me other than gratitude and, perhaps, friendship, and I…”

“Shut up,” Sanji nudges him gently with his elbow. “It’s fine,” he curls up close to Law’s side and slides an arm over his chest, resting his head on the other man’s shoulder.  He knows it’s intimate, and he knows it should feel weird, but it _doesn’t_ and right now he’s not that interested in trying to figure out why that is.  “It’s definitely friendship, by the way.”

Law scoffs but there’s something relieved in it, and Sanji thinks back to when Law had told him that he didn’t have many friends.  “I…think I’m rather fond of you, too,” he murmurs, so quiet Sanji’s not sure if he’s supposed to have heard it, but Law’s hand comes to rest on his back and Sanji knows they’re okay. 

His own emotions might be totally fucked up, and he’s going to have to sort through some things and figure out _what,_ exactly, he feels, but that can wait until morning. 

Right now he’s too tired to really care. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I don’t have a whole lot to say here this time around, but yes, their relationship is slowly progressing but I promise they’ll get there!


	7. Chapter 7

“Can I help you?”

The woman at the front desk is stunning, long legs and long blonde hair and practically exuding sexuality just from sitting there.  She looks annoyed, though, and she reaches up to adjust her glasses before sighing and crossing her arms. 

“Well?  I don’t have all day.  Staring at me is sexual harassment, you know.”

“Oh,” Sanji shakes his head, snapping him out of his trance.  “I, um, I’m here to see Doctor Trafalgar.”

Honestly, he should have just sent Law a text and gotten the older man to meet him at the entrance, but if he’s being honest the last time he was here he’d been unconscious when Law had taken him to the lab and going out they’d taken some back door to, Sanji assumes, avoid anybody seeing them sneaking around.  So he’s completely lost and the government complex is _gigantic,_ which doesn’t help.

He hates being lost.  It reminds him of that shitty Marimo. 

“Hmm,” she flips through a few files idly before standing up, smirking now as if she knows a secret the rest of the world won’t ever find out, and Sanji feels his knees go a little weak.   “I can take you to his office.”

“I’ll do it, Kalifa, don’t trouble yourself,” a black blur dashes around the corner and _somehow_ comes to a complete stop right in front of Sanji, something that causes Kalifa to roll her eyes skyward. 

“Can you ever enter the room like a normal person?”

“Why would I do that?” Kaku blinks at her before shrugging..  “That wouldn’t be any fun.”

“You’re a freak, you know that,” her words aren’t kind but there’s an underlying affection in her tone that even Sanji can pick up, and Kaku only grins at that.  “Anyway, I’m leaving.  If you see Spandam, tell him that I’m a trained assassin and not some secretary, and that if he’s too cowardly to try and patch up whatever’s going on between Jyabura and his normal office lackey that’s not my problem,” she turns on her heel and he frowns. 

“Why can’t you tell him?”

“Because he wouldn’t survive the conversation,” she calls over her shoulder, and Kaku barks a laugh at that.  “Thanks, dear,” she raises her hand in a wave before rounding the corner, and Sanji stares after her in awe for probably longer than is acceptable. 

“Don’t even think about it.  She’d eat you alive,” Kaku pats his shoulder and steers him in the opposite direction, and Sanji finally faces forward and sticks his hands in his pockets. 

“Why?  Is she taken?”

“ _No,_ lad.  At least, I don’t reckon so,” he looks thoughtful for a moment or two.  “I’m not that interested in office gossip, to tell the truth, but most of us on our team don’t get involved in personal affairs.  Our jobs can get pretty…messy, after all, so finding somebody that’s willing to accept that you might not come home one night…it’s not easy,” he looks completely unconcerned and Sanji has to walk a little faster to keep up with his long strides. 

“Is that why you’re telling me she’s off-limits?” Sanji asks, a little suspicious, but the vibe he’d gotten from Kaku and Kalifa had been more like siblings than anything else. 

“Oh, God,” Kaku laughs and hides the lower half of his face inside the collar of his high-necked jacket.  “No, for Heaven’s sake, we practically grew up together.  Most of the team did, since they tend to find us young, but it’s hard to look at us as anything but a rather eclectic and dysfunctional family,” he turns down another hallway and Sanji follows him, trying to map the route out in his mind.  He’s pretty sure the lab from the other night had been in the basement, and they’re not heading down yet, so he’s a little confused. 

“So you guys have rules about that?” it wouldn’t surprise him, honestly, because the government seems to have a lot of strange policies. 

“Just our own, I think.  And I didn’t say _nobody_ on the team is involved with each other, but like I said, I don’t gossip,” he’s winks then and stops outside of a rather nondescript door, the nameplate bearing Law’s name.  “Here you go.”

“I thought we’d be going to the lab,” Sanji admits, and Kaku shrugs. 

“Ah, you might well, but he does his daily appointments up here so there’s a better chance of catching him around.  I’ll see you,” Kaku claps him rather soundly on the back before bounding off down the corridor, and Sanji watches him go with an amused smile on his lips.   

He turns to knock on the door, then, and Law answers immediately, sticking his head out and smiling a little when he sees who it is. 

“I’m surprised you found me so easily,” he beckons Sanji in  and Sanji looks around in surprise, because he’d expected something a lot darker and the office is almost…cheery, with a large window backing out onto what looks like a courtyard. 

“Kaku showed me,” he explains, and Law ‘hmms’ and starts flipping through some papers. 

“So today I thought we’d start small.  I want to get a blood test and a saliva sample and we’ll analyze those first, although that might take a few days because I’ll need to do it without anybody really knowing what I’m up to.  We might have clearance, but that doesn’t mean I want to broadcast this all over the place,” he explains brusquely and Sanji nods, sitting down on the nearest chair.  “After that, we’ll try to get some scans of your brain activity and go from there.  I’m not sure what I’ll find, or how much proof we’re going to need, but I want you to be comfortable,” he’s speaking to Sanji like he’s a patient and not a friend, and Sanji glares at him until he stops talking.  “What?”

“Cut the shit, _Doctor,”_ Sanji crosses his legs and sticks an unlit cigarette in his mouth, grinning.  “Your bedside manner’s better than that.”

“Maybe,” Law admits with a smile.  “But we’re constantly being monitored in here and I could put both my job and your guaranteed safety in jeopardy if somebody who isn’t in the know thinks we’re a little too friendly,” he explains, bending to grab some items from a nearby cabinet, and Sanji admits that he’s got a point. 

“Okay.  So. What are we doing first?”

000

“I’m feeling it again,” Sanji says this out of nowhere a couple of nights later, sitting on Law’s couch besides him and his fingers are clenched so tight in the fabric of his pants that his knuckles are white.   The tests had gone smoothly the other day and while Law’s trying to rush the results, he obviously can’t look too eager so they’re stuck in a bit of a limbo until he can analyze everything properly.  Sanji hasn’t been at his place for a couple of nights, and Law’s not sure if that’s because he’s getting used to his perpetually cold body temperature or because he doesn’t want to look too needy, but when he’d showed up earlier Law had been able to tell something was off.  He hadn’t known what, exactly, until now. “The…it’s too soon, I can’t need blood this often…”

  1.   So that explains why he’s been distant. 



“You’ve given up a few vials for testing, so that may explain why the pull is stronger.  I’m sure once your body stabilizes everything it won’t happen as much.  We’ll go back tomorrow and get you some blood,” Law supposes he should have thought of this before, but by Sanji’s own account he’d managed to stave off the bloodlust for several days the last time around and it’s been significantly less time that one more night shouldn’t make too much of a difference. 

“No.  Too long.  _Damn it,”_ Sanji hisses, and when he looks up he hardly looks human and Law shifts back without meaning to.  He belatedly thinks that while he wouldn’t have taken enough blood to affect a normal human for long, there’s no telling how much blood Sanji even has _left_ in his body so it could have drained him significantly and accelerated his hunger process for it. 

“Come here,” Law makes a split second decision because he knows well enough by now that he can’t let it go on any longer, and he doesn’t trust Sanji’s control enough to believe he’ll be able to bring himself back from the edge if the vampire within him takes over again.  He presses his back against the hallway wall, needing the support, and Sanji’s looking at him like he has no idea what’s happening. 

“Law, what…”

“You need blood.  I’ve got it.  Take it,” he says slowly, but Sanji’s shaking his head before he can even get the sentence out. 

“I’m not going to do that.  No way,” he says firmly, but there’s a defeated slump to his shoulders that tells Law he’s giving in no matter how much he might want to resists. 

“Do it,” Law decides, letting out a slow breath through his nose and tilting his head back to bare his neck.  He can feel Sanji’s shadow creeping onto his body, twining around his feet and up his legs, and he shivers at the chill.  “I’m not accustomed to doling out charity, Mr. Blackleg,” he adds, and Sanji seems to snap out of his daze. 

“No, I don’t…I mean, I feel like I need to…can’t we use…”

“No time to find a willing victim,” Law smiles grimly.  “It’s me or nobody,” he can feel himself trembling a little, although whether it’s from fear or because he’s always been slightly aroused by danger he can’t say.

“What if I kill you?” Sanji’s eyes are starting to go red, now, his fangs lengthening even as he tries to protest, and Law shakes his head. 

“You won’t.  I trust you not to, and besides, if you try to kill me Kikoku won’t let you,” he knows that for certain, at least. 

“ _Fuck,”_ Sanji growls, teeth their full length and eyes nearly blood-red, and Law wills himself to relax, his body reacting instinctively to the caresses Sanji’s shadow is currently giving him, running up his legs and over his inner thighs.  “No, don’t…”

“It’s okay,” Law waves off his concern, because while he knows Sanji’s not…interested in him, at least not the way his shadow seems to be, he doesn’t mind the attention.  It’s not often he gets it, after all.  “Please.  Hurry,” he tips his head back against the wall again and gasps when Sanji all but jumps on him, teeth pressed to the side of his neck. 

“I don’t know if I can…” Sanji says against his skin, teeth scraping Law’s throat, and Law opens his eyes and feels a strange sense of clarity wash over him. 

“I’m not frightened,” he says honestly, because compared to last time Sanji had needed blood they’d caught this early enough that he was still in control of his own body.  “Do it.”

Sanji pauses then, hands reaching to grip Law’s arms, and Law feels his knees go weak as Sanji’s shadow slides higher over his body, trapping him completely.  “Hang on,” Sanji takes a deep breath, and a second later Law can _feel_ the fangs pierce his skin.  It doesn’t hurt, really, although one of Sanji’s hands is running through Law’s hair now and he seems to be moving on instinct.  Law slumps against the wall, letting Sanji hold him up, and he finds enough energy somehow to fist his hands in the cook’s hair, holding him in place. 

“ _Shit,”_ he hisses under his breath, because there’s something so sexual about this now, a kind of power exchange based on trust, and it’s really been too long since he’s had anybody in his bed in _that_ way.  Sanji pulls back, then, tongue licking over the bite marks and cleaning the last of the blood from Law’s skin.  His lips press against the side of Law’s neck in something that feels almost like a kiss, except of course it’s not, but when they look at each other again there’s something amazingly tender in Sanji’s gaze. 

“Thank you,” he murmurs, still combing his fingers through Law’s hair.  “I feel better.”

“That was the goal,” Law replies, his head spinning a little from the blood loss although he can tell Sanji hadn’t taken _that_ much.  He’s half-hard in his jeans, and he’s not entirely certain if it’s because he gets off on danger or because it’s _Sanji_ that had done that to him. 

Probably both, he thinks, eyes slipping closed, and Sanji doesn’t let him go.  “You sure you’re okay?”

“Give me a moment,” he murmurs, letting himself be held, and Sanji keeps stroking those long fingers through his hair in a way that feels far too much like a caress.  “I told you nothing bad would happen.”

“Yeah,” Sanji sounds relieved. “But, um, shouldn’t you have…when you donate blood, they give you sugar, right?  Or juice or something?”

“I’ve got some in the fridge,” he knows Sanji’s right, even though comparatively speaking he doubts the other man had taken any more blood than one would give for a standard blood test, but it won’t hurt.  Sanji’s not letting him go, though, and he looks up with some effort, blinking at the blond. 

“Um,” Sanji’s hands finally stop moving, fingers lightly clenched in Law’s hair, and Law can feel the air crackle between them.  He needs to move, because he’s going to do something he’ll always regret if he doesn’t, but he’s already a little aroused and being this close to Sanji isn’t helping any.  He gasps without meaning to when Sanji’s shadow starts moving again, coiling up between his legs and across his stomach. 

“Mr. Blackleg,” he’s rather proud of himself that his voice doesn’t give any indication as to how close to losing control he is, “I’m going to need you to let go of me now.”

“ _Shit,”_ Sanji sounds in pain and his eyes are still reddish, still not quite human, and Law feels like he couldn’t move even if he’d really wanted to.  “Law, I…”

Law doesn’t say anything, because he doesn’t trust his voice, and his hands are clenched at his sides as he waits for the other man to make his move.  Sanji narrows his visible eye and bows his head a little before seemingly steeling himself, fingers tightening in Law’s hair as he tilts his head back up. 

He moves closer, leg slotting between Law’s and Law can feel Sanji’s shadow creep even higher around his chest, pinning his arms to his sides. 

“ _Don’t_ ,” Sanji snarls, fangs elongating for a moment, and Law feels the shadow recede obediently.  “Fuck, I’m not _doing_ it that way,” he sounds on the verge of madness, like he’s fighting some battle within himself.  He takes a deep breath, then, resting one hand on Law’s chest and pushing himself close enough that they’re nearly touching.  “Law…I want to…can I?” his voice is defeated, like he can’t fight this anymore, and Law nods because he’s honestly not sure what will happen if he says no. 

Sanji makes a wounded noise low in his throat before their lips touch, and Law’s hands immediately go to his hips, feeling some of the tension release from his body.  He’s wanted this so badly, and he’d never even imagined Sanji would be inclined to reciprocate, but the younger man is _trembling_ and it seems like he’s on the verge of breaking down completely. 

“Sanji,” he murmurs, maybe the first time he’s ever used the blond’s given name, but the moment’s far too intimate to bother with formalities.  “Let me…”

“Okay,” Sanji murmurs, so Law initiates the next kiss, moving his lips gently until the other man reciprocates.  It’s tentative and unsure, almost innocent, which considering that Sanji had just been sucking blood from his body seems rather contradictory.  He breaks the kiss, then, unwilling to push it too far, and Sanji lets out a shuddery breath and pulls away, so Law lets him go.  “Fuck.”

Law doesn’t say anything, not wanting to make it worse, but Sanji staggers away from him on shaky legs and collapses into a chair by the table, something Law himself kind of wants to do. 

He forces himself to get a glass of juice, draining it in a few quick gulps, and retreats to the bathroom to gather his thoughts.  The mirror stops him short and he realizes how awful he looks, dried blood streaking down his neck and face pale, although the stories about vampire saliva having healing properties must be true because the mark itself is barely visible. 

Telling himself that Sanji has to figure this out for himself, he decides to go about his evening routine normally.

If Sanji is still there when he comes out of the bathroom, that’s fine.  If he’s not…

Well, Law’s expecting that, to be honest. 

Even if he’s truly hoping for something different.

000

Sanji hasn’t left by the time he gets back, although he’s moved back to the couch, and he tries not to let his surprise show.  The young man is staring off into space, looking conflicted, and Law lays a hand on his shoulder gently but even that causes him to flinch. 

“I’m making some tea.  Would you like a cup?” he asks softly, and Sanji nods, so Law slides into the kitchen and does so.  Sanji’s still motionless when he returns, and Law sits beside him but not too close to make him uncomfortable as he passes the cup over. 

“Thanks,” Sanji mutters, curling his fingers around the cup and sighing heavily.  “Sorry.  I’m being a fucking wimp about this.”

“You’re not,” Law assures him.  “You’ve gone your entire life thinking your sexuality was something that it isn’t, and it’s all coming on top of the knowledge that you’re not entirely human any longer.  Anybody would be overwhelmed,” he promises, watching Sanji out of the corner of his eye as he sips at the tea.  “I’m sure it’s not up to your standards…”

“It’s tea.  It’s hot.  It’s fine,” Sanji says briskly, but he slumped back into the couch a second later.  “Are you feeling okay?”

“You really didn’t take that much blood,” Law promises, and it’s only the truth.  “I’m more worried about you right now.”

“I’m…processing,” Sanji decides, clicking his tongue.  “I just never thought my first kiss would be with a guy,” he laughs bitterly and Law would feel guilty except, well, Sanji _had_ initiated it in the end.  “Sorry.  You…you’re hot, and I like you, and maybe I just need to…shift my world-view a bit.  A bit _more,”_ he amends with a wry chuckle, “because vampires are one thing but…” he sets the tea on a side table and lights up a cigarette, smoking thoughtfully, and Law can tell that he needs it as much as he disapproves of smoking on principle. 

“Rest assured, I’m not going to rush you into anything you aren’t prepared for,” Law decides that’s a safe thing to say, and he hears Sanji hum in what he assumes is appreciation. 

There’s silence after that, so absolute that he almost wants to turn the television on just to break it, but he hears the couch creak and a second later Sanji’s head is on his shoulder, legs curled up underneath him and the teacup back in his hands. 

“I don’t know what I’m feeling,” he finally admits, the words mumbled around the cigarette in his mouth.  “But I know I trust you, and I know you make me feel safe.  And kissing you…” he frowns, his brow furrowing.  “It didn’t feel wrong.”

“I suppose that’s encouraging,” Law replies dryly and feels more than hears Sanji chuckle, the vibrations rippling through his body. 

“I was right, though,” Sanji looks up at him almost coyly and Law’s not sure if he wants to hear this, but he says nothing and so Sanji continues, “about you getting off on pain.”

Law rolls his eyes and takes a sip of his tea to hide his lack of a witty response.  Yes, he’d kind of hoped that Sanji hadn’t noticed, but with how tight they were pressed together it would have been rather impossible not to.  “I’m hardly a masochist, Mr. Blackleg.  It would be more appropriate to imply that it’s the threat of danger that…excited me,” he finishes, and Sanji studies him appraisingly. 

“Yeah?  I can live with that,” he decides, and Law’s not exactly sure what _that_ means but Sanji’s curled up against him again, seemingly content, and Law shifts so that he’s holding the cup in one hand to settle the other around Sanji’s thin shoulders and hold him there. 

It’s not perfect, of course, and there’s still a noticeable tension in the air between them, but Sanji’s not running and, for now, that’s all Law can really ask for. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Yes, I’ve upped the rating because it’s going to happen eventually and probably soon-ish for one reason or another…
> 
> 2\. Thank you so much to everybody that’s still reading! I realize that things are moving far more slowly here than in my other fics I’ve written with these two, but I hope you bear with me because that’s going to change, I promise!


	8. Chapter 8

“You kissed him?”

“Yeah,” Sanji shrugs, because he’s trying to convince himself not to make a big deal of it so it’s better to actually _act_ like it’s not a big deal.  “I mean, I don’t know if it was just the heat of the moment or…”

Ace is giving him a look that clearly says he doesn’t believe a word coming out of Sanji’s mouth, but eventually he shrugs and drapes his arms over the breakwater railing, leaning out toward the water.  “I mean, it’s something you need to work out for yourself.  I’ve never been…” he wrinkles his nose and Sanji laughs quietly. 

“Bitten?  Yeah, Marco told me that,” he affirms, and Ace makes a non-committal sound low in his throat.  “What?”

“Nothing.  Did he also tell you about people he _has_ bitten?” the other man looks nervous and Sanji claps a hand on his shoulder, trying to offer some comfort.  “Never mind, don’t…look, I know he’s old enough to be my father, or maybe even my grandfather, but sometimes I think about how I’m just another notch in his bedpost and it’s kind of depressing.”

“You’re not,” Sanji says before he can stop himself, and Ace raises one eyebrow in a move that clearly states he’s not buying it.  “He told me…”

“Yeah, and how many other people has he told that to?” Ace chuckled wryly.  “I’m not stupid, Sanji.  I knew what I was getting into before I agreed to it, but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna be totally okay with it all the time,” he bites his lip and looks away and Sanji rubs his shoulder a little.  “But whatever, that’s something I’ve gotta figure out,” he nods firmly.  “Anyway, what are you going to do about Law?”

Sanji shrugs, lighting a cigarette to avoid answering right away, and he smokes thoughtfully for a few minutes.  “I’m not gay,” he says after a few moments.  “And I know that doesn’t mean I still can’t be attracted to a guy, and Law…”

“He’s hot,” Ace supplies, rather unhelpfully, so Sanji shoves at his arm. 

“You’re not helping.”

“No, but seriously.  You’re sleeping with this guy nearly every night, he’s helping you stay safe from the government, you _drank his blood_ and then kissed him.  And your shadow keeps trying to molest him,” Ace ticks off the point on his fingers and Sanji groans and turns away, blowing some smoke rings into the air.  His shadow is wriggling around just at the _mention_ of Law and he’s kind of fed up with that already. 

“I know,” he finally says.  “I do, Ace, I just…” he sighs.  “It’s not that I’m afraid of it, or I’m afraid of people judging me, I just…don’t know why _him,”_ he knows that probably sounds cruel because if Law were female he’d already be in love with him.  He’s smart and sarcastic and actually really caring underneath all of it, and yeah, he’s fucking gorgeous. 

“We can’t choose who we fall in love with.  I should know that better than anybody,” Ace laughs, although he sounds much less bitter now, and Sanji smiles hesitantly in return. 

He knows it’s not as big a deal as he’s making it out to be.  And having somebody that he likes and that he’s pretty sure likes him back…there’s nothing wrong with that. 

“If you want advice on sex between two guys, though, I’m happy to…”

“ _No,”_ Sanji says firmly, and luckily Ace stops ribbing him about it. 

There are some things he’s just not ready to learn yet. 

000

Law, for his part, hasn’t said anything since that night and Sanji’s starting to get a little annoyed.  Yes, he appreciates that Law’s not pushing him, but from the way he’s been acting in the past couple of days Sanji might as well have been a sack of potatoes for all the warmth he’s been showing at night.  He figures that this probably means he needs to make some sort of move, but he knows from experience that most of the times when he thinks he’s being smooth he’s really only making a fool of himself. 

He turns around so he’s facing Law, lifting himself up a little and frowning at the sleeping man below him.  He lifts his hand to brush it lightly through Law’s hair, running it down his throat and feeling the steady thump of Law’s pulse under his cold fingertips.  Asleep, Law loses a lot of the rather dark aura he always seems to surround himself with, and he looks young and peaceful, all the worry lines eased from his brow and a tiny smile on his lips.  He leans down slightly, still not sure _what_ he’s trying to accomplish, but he’s kissing Law before he can stop himself and he hears the other man take a startled breath, body shifting as he wakes up. 

The way he kisses back tells Sanji’s he’s moving more on instinct than because he knows what’s going on, but a second later his eyes open and he breaks away. 

“What…”

Sanji just shakes his head, because he doesn’t want to _talk_ about this, and Law sets his hands on Sanji’s shoulders and pulls him down, wrapping his arms around the blond’s back and kissing him much more firmly. 

He nearly pulls away when he feels Law’s tongue flick against his lips, but damn it, he’s not a coward, and he opens his mouth obligingly and shivers when his tongue brushes against the other man’s.  He lifts one leg up, straddling Law’s waist and bending nearly in half as the kiss gets more heated. 

And it’s…better than he thought it would be.  He’d always assumed that even if it had gotten to this stage, at some point he’d start freaking out about the fact that he was doing this with a _man,_ but that feeling is surprisingly absent.  And it’s not like he’s got any experience, but Law seems extremely confident and sure about what he’s doing.  Suddenly the other man stops, a gasp breaking from his throat that’s not something Sanji’s ever heard him do, and he looks down to see that his shadow is…

“ _Stop,”_ he growls, and the shadow pulls back immediately, which he’s thankful for (he thinks it’s getting more obedient, although obviously it’s still trying to get away with more than either of them are comfortable with).  Law’s eyes are wide and his breathing is harsh, and Sanji’s not sure what he should do next but when Law yanks him down he goes willingly, one leg still thrown over Law’s body as he cuddles against his shoulder. 

“Well, I can safely say that getting jerked off by a shadow is not something I ever anticipated my life coming to,” Law still sounds a little ashamed and Sanji buries his face against Law’s shoulder, groaning.  “It’s not your fault.”

“No, but fuck, I didn’t think it would actually _molest_ you,” he sighs and Law chuckles softly. 

“No harm done, really.  But while I’m not exactly _complaining_ about being woken up in that way, I am rather wondering as to the reason for it.”

“I’m just…tired of fighting it,” Sanji admits.  “I’ve been working it out in my mind over the last few days and the honest truth is that I’m attracted to you.  And even though it’s…not something I ever thought would happen, my life’s fucked up enough that something that could make me happy, something we both want…I don’t think trying to fight it is going to help either of us in the long run.”

“Well, it’s quite a roundabout piece of logic, but if you do want to…pursue this in any capacity, I’m not going to say no,” Law assures him, and Sanji kind of knew that but it’s nice to hear it. 

“Yeah,” Sanij almost surprises himself with how quickly he agrees.  “I mean, not everything right away, but I…yeah,” he laughs and Law hums in agreement. 

“Okay, then,” he murmurs, hand splayed against Sanji’s back, and Sanji can feel the warmth from his fingers seeping through the thin shirt he’s wearing.  “I was going to ask, though, if you have any more…control over your shadow.  Can you make it do what you want?”

“I’ve never tried,” Sanji says honestly, propping himself up a little.  “I mean, sometimes when I call it off it listens, but if I could actually direct it…” he stops, concentrating, trying to get his shadow to follow his orders.  It creeps up beside him slowly, just curling around Law’s waist, and when he calls it back it snaps to him instantly.  It’s not perfect, obviously, but if he could actually get it to _behave_ most of the time that would help with the whole ‘looking like a regular person’ thing.  “A little, I guess.”

“Can you feel it?  I mean, when it’s….” Law pauses and Sanji looks up at him, narrowing his eyes because it looks like Law’s cheeks are a little red and…oh.  Yeah.  Sanji’s shadow had kind of been touching him inappropriately. 

“Not really,” he shakes his head.  “Sometimes when it starts stretching too far it kind of feels like when you get your sleeve caught in a door, but otherwise I have no idea what it’s doing I less I see it happening.”

He notices that Law looks at least a little relived at that, and he can’t say he blames him. 

“So…how’s the testing going?” he changes the subject mostly because he’s not sure how much more they can say about his errant shadow, and Law sighs. 

“As well as can be expected, considering I have to do it in complete secrecy.  There are actually a fair number of other doctors at the government complex, although the majority of them are there for more…normal duties than hybrid or cyborg experimentation,” he chuckles.  “I’m considering asking another one of them to help, because I know he’s trustworthy.”

Sanji’s not so sure about that, since from what he’s heard whoever Kaku’s boss is wasn’t really down with this from the get-go, but he doesn’t know this guy so he can hardly say that.  “If you’re sure,” he says instead, and Law nods. 

“I’ll chat with Dr. Tony about it tomorrow, but even if I don’t tell him the entire story having somebody as a look-out so I can actually complete the testing will be beneficial,” Law sounds sure, and Sanji can’t really argue with that.  Honestly, he’s a little surprised when they’d done the blood test that his blood had looked, well, _normal,_ because he’s heard rumors that vampires had acid green blood or blood that was thick and black like tar but it was just…red, and somehow that’s more comforting than anything else in making him still feel human. 

“Okay,” he concedes, laying his head back on Law’s shoulder.  He has to trust the other man’s judgment for now, he supposes, and the sooner they get all of this figured out the better, really. 

As long as the end results are what he wants them to be, of course, but right now at least there’s no indication that they’ll be anything else.

000

“Shurorororo!  You’ve been in here a lot, Law!”

“Caesar,” Law tries to keep his tone neutral but the scientist, quite frankly, makes him uncomfortable.  Truth be told he’s just gathering supplies this time around and not trying to do any more testing on Sanji’s blood, but this is exactly the reason why he’s been so slow about it.  “I’m quite sure I’m allowed to be in here as much as I want.”

“Of course, of course!  It’s not like you’re sneaking around,” Caesar reaches past him, a little too close considering the lab is large, and Law sidles away.  “I’ll see you later!  Shurorororo,” Caesar giggles to himself as he leaves the room and Law shakes his head, because that whole exchange had felt so _off_ even though Caesar’s always, well, odd.  He gathers up a few vials and test tubes and heads back up to his office, contemplating what it might mean until Sanji shows up, but he’s no closer to figuring it out and eventually he just puts it down to Caesar’s normal strangeness. 

Nothing to worry about.

000

“Mr. Blackleg, this is Dr. Tony,” Law points to the door and Sanji looks up but doesn’t see anybody.  The clip-clop of what sounds like hooves on the floor makes him look down, and he tries not to be too surprised that this so-called ‘Doctor Tony’ seems to be, well, a miniature reindeer. 

“Um,” he says, not sure how to start, but Dr. Tony hops up onto a chair beside the bed he’s sitting on and holds out a hoof, so he shakes it hesitantly. 

“Please.  Call me Chopper,” he twitches his nose, which Sanji sees is _blue,_ and wiggles a little in the chair. 

“Um,” Sanji says again, because he’s honestly afraid anything else he says is going to be offensive, but Law seems to understand. 

“Dr. Tony, as you’ve probably guessed, underwent the hybrid experimentation here,” Law puts in.  “Or, well, reverse hybrid experimentation, I suppose, seeing as how he’s actually a reindeer,” he notes, and Sanji’s trying to figure that out, but in the end he guesses if humans can be merged with animals, why not go the other way, too?  “He’s also the only successful reverse hybrid, but he’s a brilliant doctor and utterly trustworthy,” he promises, and Sanji doesn’t think he can distrust something that’s so damn adorable. 

“Don’t say that, you bastard!  Complimenting me doesn’t make me happy at all,” Chopper’s wriggling much more violently now and, despite his words, seems _very_ happy with the praise. 

“Regardless, this isn’t just about introducing the two of you,” Law clears his throat, all business as usual, and Sanji looks up in concern.  “Don’t worry, Mr. Blackleg, it’s good news.  Your blood tests have come back nearly normal, and certainly no stranger than somebody who suffers from anemia, so you’re a little low on iron but otherwise your body seems to be functioning as any other human’s would.  Your saliva is another case, but…”

“Marco told me that vampire saliva has healing properties.  I guess to keep, um, hosts alive if they want to…” he shudders, because the thought of having a half-alive person around as some sort of…blood fountain is a little disturbing. 

“That would explain it, then.  I was thinking the properties looked in line with treatments we use to slow bleeding, but if that’s all it is, then it’s not worth mentioning in my…reports,” Law raises an eyebrow and Sanji has to snicker at that. 

“So, what’s the next step?”

“I’d like to monitor your brain activity, but that’s going to take a considerable amount of planning to make sure nobody interrupts us,” he hops up beside Sanji and looks over at him.  “Caesar was sniffing around earlier,” he adds, and Chopper shivers.

“He’s creepy.”

“I don’t disagree, which is why I think we need to be more careful,” he sighs and Sanji nudges him gently, giving him a grin.  “What?”

“I’m human.  Or damn near.  That’s a good start, right?” he asks hopefully, and Law nods. 

“It is, for what it’s worth.  I mean, there’s no guarantee even if I present the findings that it will make any difference, but at least we can say we tried,” he looks a little down and Sanji leans his head on Law’s shoulder, half-closing his eyes.  He knows there are obviously more important things to be worrying about right now, but part of him is truly wondering how his friends will react when he tells them that he’s, well, kind of dating a guy. 

He’s still not sure _himself_ how to feel about it at times, but one thing he’s sure of is that Law’s not going to pressure him into anything and, honestly, so far he’s enjoying having this…closeness with somebody, even somebody as emotionally closed off as Law seems to be at times.  He knows they don’t even _know_ that much about each other, not really, but they’ve been through enough already that there’s a weird sort of trust built up and at this point Sanji’s never going to deny how attractive Law is. 

“You’re thinking.  What about?” Law murmurs, and Sanji shrugs, sitting up and stretching. 

“Nothing important,” he promises, and while Law doesn’t look quite like he believes him, he decides to let it go. 

000

“You seem happy.”

“Of course I am, my darling Nami-swan!  Why would I not be happy in your radiant presence?!” he spins around and lowers a glass in front of her, filled with a fruity cocktail, and she nods in thanks. 

“No, I mean…considering everything that’s happened to you, I thought you’d be a little down, but you’re…” she waves her hand and he sits next to her and crosses his legs, wondering if now’s the time to come clean. 

“She’s right, Cook.  Not that I care, but it’s better than you being all mopey,” Zoro grunts, and Sanji mock-glares at him before rubbing his temples and sighing. 

“I’m….sort of seeing somebody,” he admits, digging out a cigarette just to have something in his mouth and chewing on it nervously.  “The um...the doctor that’s…trying to prove I’m human or whatever,” he’s explained at least the basics to everybody else so they’re not concerned when he’s running off for the government offices, but Nami looks surprised. 

“Really?  I mean, you know I love you, Sanji-kun, but…”

“I’m hopeless around women.  Yeah,” Sanji chuckles to himself.  “Um, I guess it helps that he’s a man then, huh?” he laughs nervously but he’s not prepared for Nami punching him in the arm. 

“Shut up!  Seriously?!” she yelps, and he tries to shush her but luckily she drops her voice, then.  “You’re dating a _guy?”_

“Yeah…”

“Wait!” she sits up a little more.  “The guy who found you the night after you’d been bitten…you said he was a doctor, so is he…”

Sanji nods and Nami dives across to hug him, something that surprises him because for once the feel of a warm and supple body against his own doesn’t make him dissolve into a puddle of hearts.  It feels good, of course, because she’s warm and soft and smells faintly of tangerines, but it’s friendly and that’s all he’s seeing it as. 

“Is he hot?” she mumbles against his neck, and he shrugs. 

“I mean, Ace says he is, but…yeah.  He is,” he decides, and she finally moves away. 

“Can we meet him?”

“Sometime, probably,” Sanji’s not sure how Law will react to his friends because they’re kind of…loud and out there, and Law seems like somebody who doesn’t take to rowdy situations well.  Still, there’s not much harm that can come from it.  He thinks.  He looks across at Zoro, who raises an eyebrow, and immediately tenses. 

“Calm down, Swirly-Brow, I’m not gonna say anything” Zoro grins, then, and Sanji immediately feels better.  “I’m still friends with Ace, aren’t I?  Whatever you’re into, it’s none of my business,” he promises, and Sanji gets up and walks around the table, ruffling Zoro’s hair and jumping back when the other man tries to smack his hands away. 

It feels good, to know that his friends accept him and accept _this_ even though he’s never shown any interest in men before. 

Honestly, right now, things are good.  Or well, far better than he could have anticipated considering everything that’s happened to him over the last little while.  He’s happy, as weird as it sounds, and he can only hope it lasts. 

000

And it does, until the day Law goes missing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I don’t have much to say here other than to thank everybody for still reading this! And a warning that things get a little…dark next chapter, but it doesn’t last for long, I promise…


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some elements of torture in this chapter but I’m generally a wuss and can’t write anything too graphic, but just fair warning…

“Fufufufufu…so you’re finally awake.”

Law snaps into consciousness abruptly, trying to sit up before he realizes that he’s already upright, and from that moment everything slams into him like a tidal wave, starting with a lancing pain from his back that has him biting his tongue to hold back a cry.  He can’t tell where he is, except it’s dark and probably underground, and he tries to catalogue all of his injuries before anything else.  His arms are pulled straight to the sides and his shoulders are feeling it enough that he’s betting the muscles are at least over-extended, and he can barely feel his hands which is scaring him more than anything. 

He’s naked from the waist up, strung high enough up a damp stone wall that his toes are barely brushing the floor, and he tries to rein in his panic because he honestly has _no idea_ what’s going on right now. 

“Long time no see,” the man steps forward, into a shaft of light beaming down from a window high in the stone wall, and Law growls when he sees who exactly is talking to him.  It’s been almost fifteen years, but he hasn’t forgotten.  “Are you surprised?  Did you think you were _free?”_ he chuckles, eyes as always hidden behind a pair of sharply slanted sunglasses.  “Oh, you silly boy.  You’re doing a very bad thing and need to be…disciplined,” he moves forward, a sadistic grin on his face as he fists a hand in Law’s hair and tips his head back sharply. 

“Doflamingo,” he all but spits, but he’s inwardly trying to keep his cool because he’s rather helpless at the moment.  “I was never yours to begin with.”

“You’re mistaken,” the older man pulls his head back more, baring his throat.  “My _brother_ was loyal to me, so I thought, and as his…protégé,” he sneers, “the same applies to you whether you accept it or not.  He got too big for his britches and decided to go against my wishes.  You see, he also had the bright idea years and years ago to get the government to stop hunting down harmless half-breeds, knowing full well that if their top agents were focused on that than they’d be blind to…other things going on.” 

Law bites his lip because he _knows_ where this is going now, and he’s known all along, really, but to get confirmation of it…yes, Doflamingo’s name is well known in the underground, and Law’s heard rumors that he’s got plants inside the government itself, which wouldn’t surprise him.  He’s never been exactly sure what the man’s been after, other than to cause as much chaos as possible, but until now it hasn’t been his problem and he wishes it would have stayed that way. 

“So you killed him,” he chokes out, and Doflamingo growls, his free hand grabbing Law’s throat enough to restrict his airflow. 

“No.  I simply…led him into a nest of vampires.  I would have liked to have done it with my own hands, but this way nobody would suspect anything and I could walk away unscathed,” he presses harder and Law kicks rather uselessly at the air, unable to breathe.  “You look scared.  So did he, before they ripped out his throat,” he removes his hand then and Law gasps, coughing, trying to force air into his lungs. 

“Fucking bastard,” he hisses and Doflamingo clicks his tongue, reaching back and slapping Law’s cheek hard enough that he can taste blood.  He spits it out, feeling some of the liquid drip down his chin, and tries not to seem disgusted when Doflamingo catches some on a fingertip and sucks it into his mouth. 

“That’s not nice,” he finally says, gripping Law’s chin and forcing him to look up.  “You’d fetch a good price on the market, you know.  With a face and a body like yours…” he chuckles, and Law feels a spike of fear go through him.  Maybe it shouldn’t surprise him that Doflamingo is involved in human trafficking after everything else, but the thought of it is nearly paralyzing.  “Good.  I think I’ve got your undivided attention now,” he leans closer. 

Law tries to speak but all he can do is cough rather pathetically, more blood running from his mouth. 

“Stop what you’re doing.  I don’t care about the hybrid experiments, in fact those are useful to me, but stop trying to prove vampires are anything other than monsters.  I’d like to think I’m a…fair man, and I’m giving you a warning, but if I hear _anything_ about you continuing with this, the pain you’re in now will seem like trivial compared to what I’ll do to you then,” he holds Law against the wall, grinding his shoulders back, and Law can’t help the yelp of pain that escapes this time. 

He knows he’s got open wounds on his back, at the very least, and the wall is so covered in dirt and grime that rubbing anything into them is going to cause a nasty infection. 

“No, st-…”

“I’d like to hear that pretty mouth of yours begging for your life, but now’s not the time,” Doflamingo thankfully lets go of him and Law blinks away tears from the pain.  It feels like his back is on fire.  “I need to return you before anybody realizes you’re gone,” he steps out of Law’s line of vision and when he returns, he’s holding a rather wicked-looking lash in his hand.  “I think you need another lesson, though…”

Law closes his eyes but still screams when the whip comes down over the middle of his chest, but it’s only one strike and he looks up in surprise. 

“Think of it as a reminder of our conversation.  Goodbye, Law.  I only hope I don’t have to see you like this again.”

Law tries to struggle when the other man holds a cloth over his nose and mouth, but one whiff of the sweet-smelling substance on it and he knows it’s going to knock him out.  His last sight before he blacks out is Doflamingo’s grin, a mocking reminder of just what he’s now gotten himself into. 

000

When he wakes up again, he’s in his own bed, and he can hear hushed whispers from the other side of the door.  He tries to take inventory on himself but his torso is so wrapped with bandages that he can’t see properly.  His back still hurts, but it’s manageable, and his shoulders are aching.  There are rather ugly, raw marks around his wrists from where he’d been restrained, his jaw feels swollen, and when he tries to sit up his entire body practically screams at him so he stops, collapsing against the pillows with a sob of pain. 

“Don’t move!”

“Doctor Tony,” he murmurs, watching the tiny reindeer push the door open and come in. 

“You’ve been hurt really badly.”

“I know,” Law replies, eyes half-closed.  “My back…”

“It’s the worst part, but I think we’ve managed to clean all of your wounds and it shouldn’t scar if you keep them from getting infected.  You’re going to have some nasty bruising but internally everything looks okay,” he sniffles, crawling on the bed, and Law fights through the pain so he can lift a hand and pat the small creature on the head.  “Law, what…”

“I can’t tell you,” Law whispers, because he’s not risking anybody else getting hurt for this.  “I know who it was, and I don’t think he’ll be back, but I can’t tell you.”

Chopper looks at him seriously, his soft brown eyes filled with determination, before he nods.  “Okay.  I don’t like it, but okay,” he hops down.  “I’m going to give your some painkillers, so take them before you go to sleep for the night and again in the morning.  I’ll leave the ointment and bandages here and Sanji can take care of that, but I’ll be back tomorrow to make sure everything’s still healing properly.  Eat something if you’re hungry, you should be able to handle solid foods,” he rattles off breathlessly and Law reaches to strokes his fur. 

“Thank you, Doctor Tony.  It means a lot to me that you’d make such an effort to save me,” he says, completely honest, and Chopper blushes and starts to wiggle around.

“Don’t thank me, you bastard!  That doesn’t make me happy at all!” he claps his hooves together. “You sure you’ll be okay?  We can set a guard on your house if you want…”

“No,” Law shakes his head.  “No, it’s…best if we pretend nothing happened.”

“Okay,” Chopper nods and gathers up his things, clip-clopping out of the room.  Law can hear another hurried conversation before the door opens again. 

“I can stay.”

“No, I’ll be okay to handle him,” Sanji sounds tired and Law wonders just how long he’s been out. 

“Aye, well, call me if you need anything.  I’ll be on patrol most of the night but I can hop over right quick.”

Obviously Kaku, Law thinks, because nobody else talks like that, and he hears Sanji assure the agent that he can manage before the sound of footsteps and then the front door closing reaches him. 

He keeps his eyes on Sanji when he enters the room, moving like a man on the verge of collapse, and Law feels a harsh stab of guilt when Sanji only climbs up onto the bed and snuggles against his side, head resting on his chest above the bandages.  He grits his teeth against the pain when he moves his arm, wrapping it around Sanji and stroking his fingers through Sanji’s golden hair. 

“I was so fucking worried,” Sanji murmurs.

“How long was I gone?”

“Half a day, maybe,” Sanji shrugs.  “But nobody knew where you were, and when Kaku found you....fuck, both of us thought you were dead at first, and you’ve been out for about a day...” he shivers so Law pulls him closer, staring at the ceiling.  “What happened?”

“My past catching up with me when I had no idea it was chasing me in the first place,” he sighs.  “I can’t tell you everything, but…essentially I was told that if I didn’t stop trying to prove half-breeds are more human than not I’d be killed,” he knows he has to say that much at least, but he’s surprised when Sanji sits up and looks at him with a rather startling determination in his eyes. 

“Then we stop.  It’s not worth your life,” he decides instantly, and Law’s too worn out to argue with him right now.  The last thing he wants is for _Sanji_ to be in danger again if he no longer has government protection, but quite frankly they have time to figure that out and he’s not thinking clearly at the moment.  “Law?”

“Forgive me.  I fear I’m not up for much intellectual conversation at right now,” he coughs and gasps when Sanji touches his neck, thumb stroking over his throat. 

“You’ve got…did somebody try to _choke_ you?” Sanji sounds disgusted and Law sighs. 

“No.  Not seriously, at any rate.  It was mostly meant to frighten me, I think, but the man responsible doesn’t do anything by halves and honestly I’m surprised all of my body parts are still intact,” he mutters. 

“Law...”

“Just…leave it alone.  It’s over,” Law knows he probably sounds pathetic and he hardly thinks Sanji _will,_ but the younger man nods at least and it’ll have to do for now.  He closes his eyes, resting one hand over the bandages on his chest, before a thought hits him.  Doflamingo’s last strike had been with far too much purpose to have just been a last kick at him, and if he’s right…he tugs at the bandages and Sanji reaches to stop him.  “No, I have to see, what did he…”

“Okay.  Okay, don’t…” Sanji helps him sit up, which leaves him gasping from the pain of it, and unwinds the bandages as gently as he can.  Law sees they’re already stained with blood and ointment and he steels himself for what’s about to be revealed when they’re completely away.  He shifts himself to look in the mirror in the corner, hand touching the tattoo on his chest, and he’s not that violent by nature but he truly wants to wring that bastard’s neck.  “What is it?”

“You remember how I told you that my mentor used a smiley face on his equipment?” he looks over and Sanji nods.  “The man who…he’s…he uses…a crossed-out smiley face,” he curls his fingers into a fist, body shaking, and Sanji sucks in a startled breath.  “Is my back…is it the same?”

“I mean, you were…obviously hit more than once, but there is one…in the same place,” Sanji admits slowly, and Law curls over, squeezing his eyes shut and trying not to cry.  “He marked you.”

“I’m not his.  I never was, and I never will be,” Law vows, and Sanji wraps his arms around Law and kisses the top of his head. 

“They’ll heal.  Chopper said that we got to it fast enough that it shouldn’t scar, so you probably won’t be able to tell,” he’s trying to be reassuring and Law does appreciate it, but it doesn’t change the fact that both of his smiley-face tattoos, the ones that are supposed to be a tribute to Corazon, now have an angry red gash in the same place that Doflamingo’s own symbol does.  It’s a cruel and mocking thing to do, but then, Law should have known.  “Law?  What do you need right now?” Sanji’s already working on redoing the bandages and Law lets him, waiting in silence until he’s finished. 

“I…” he frowns, because the one thing he truly feels he needs is something he won’t ask Sanji to give him yet, but maybe… “I just…”

“Hey,” Sanji leans over, pressing him gently down against the bed and kissing him, and Law lets out a sob that’s half-pain and half-relief, clinging to Sanji’s shirt without caring how much his arms hurt.  “You’re scaring me.  What do you…”

“Your shadow,” Law clears his throat.  “If we…do you think it will...” he pauses, because this is a strange thing to ask, but Sanji’s eyes widen and he seems to get it. 

“Oh.  _Oh._ Yeah, probably.  Do you…do you want that?”

“I want _something_ to help me forget, and I know you’re not prepared for that yet, but if it…”

“You want my shadow to…” Sanji laughs nervously, and Law can’t tell what he’s thinking.  “Okay.  It’s…”

“Strange.  I know.  But…” Law shrugs, or tries to, before he winces in pain, and Sanji sets his jaw in a rather determined fashion.  There’s silence for a few seconds before Law feels Sanji’s shadow creeping up his legs, and he looks down to see that he’s only wearing underwear.  The shadow, however, seemingly makes quick work of that and Law notices that Sanji’s trying really hard not to look.  “You can look.  If you want.  I don’t have anything you haven’t seen before,” he shrugs, and Sanji’s eyes flick downward. 

“That’s so fucked up,” he laughs, sounding slightly hysterical, and Law tries to crane his neck up and has to agree that, yeah, the sight of these…black tendrils wrapping around his cock and stroking him to full arousal is _not_ something he’d ever thought he’d see.  Sanji reaches to cup Law’s cheek, kissing him with much more purpose than he ever has up until now, and Law responds eagerly, trying not to move too much. 

“Oh, fuck,” Law gasps against Sanji’s lips, feeling the shadow tighten and start to stroke, and it feels…almost like a hand, but there’s something still cold about it, mist-like and not quite solid, but he doesn’t care because for whatever reason it seems to know what it’s doing. 

Sanji grabs his shoulders, keeping him pressed against the bed so he can’t writhe around too much, and he decides to just fist one hand in Sanji’s hair and grip the sheets with the other, hips jerking up into that phantom-like touch because he just can’t help that. 

“Is it that good?” Sanji asks, voice low and a little rough, and Law’s not sure if it _is_ or if it’s just because it’s been so long and he’s with somebody he trusts and that, honestly, makes him feel safe.  It probably doesn’t matter, because the end result is going to be the same. 

“Just…” he sighs and kisses Sanji, trying to hurry this along because he _needs it_ but he doesn’t want to drag it out, not now when neither of them are fully invested in it.  The other man, thankfully, doesn’t press him and just goes back to kissing, and Law can feel himself getting closer to the edge, already stretched too thin from the day to care how desperately he’s behaving. 

“Hey.  Look at me,” Sanji grabs his face, gently, and Law makes a questioning sound in his throat as the other man forces their eyes to meet.  Sanji’s eyes are a clear, calm blue right now, no trace of the vampire at all, and Law would normally hate for _anybody_ to see him on the verge of breaking down but right now he’s too drained to even care that he’s being utterly vulnerable.  “Just stay here,” Sanji urges, and Law understands that he’s afraid Law’s slipping back into his memories.  He’s not, at least not _now,_ but the concern is appreciated and he can feel himself inching closer to the edge, pleasure spiking through him as the shadow increases its pace. 

“I’m…” he starts, unable to say anything else, and Sanji ducks his head, kissing his neck gently and licking over the bruises there, and Law’s breath hitches because there’s something so tender about how he’s acting.  Not that they’d done much before now, but it’s either been overshadowed by the threat of danger or by Sanji’s own hesitancy, and this is something Law’s never expected or even _thought_ about. 

Sex, to him, is something that’s not always unpleasant but hardly more than physical release, and the thought that somebody would _want_ to make him feel better, to make sure he enjoys it, is more than a little surprising.  But then, Sanji’s proven to be rather hedonistic, so it would make sense that, even if he has no experience, he’d want sex to be as intimate and personal as possible. 

It doesn’t feel like pity, not really, which is good because Law would resent it if it did, but Law’s not sure _what_ it is except…

“Oh, _fuck,”_ he hisses, too close to the edge without realizing it, and he tries to keep his hips from snapping upward when his orgasm hits him, leaving him gasping and over-stimulated when the shadow keeps touching him even after he’s finished. 

He can feel it pull away then, sliding down his legs and off of his body, and Sanji kisses his neck one last time before moving back up. 

“Tell me the truth.  Who was he?” there’s a grim set to Sanji’s jaw that tells Law he’s not getting out of this without admitting it, and well, Law can’t really say he’s afraid anymore. 

“My mentor’s older brother.  He…he might not have pulled the trigger, but he loaded the gun, and it’s because of him that Corazon is dead,” he murmurs.  “I want…” he swallows heavily because he’d like _nothing_ more than to see the bastard taken down, but… “I want to avenge him somehow, but I don’t…”

“We’ll figure it out,” Sanji vows. 

“You need to stay out of it,” Law tries to sound firm but Sanji smirks at him, quirking his curled eyebrow.

“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.  Look, shitty surgeon, you’ve saved me more times than I can count and you didn’t have to do any of it.  It’s high time for me to return the favor,” he says, and Law sighs and knows he’s too tired to fight this right now.  “How did he know what you were doing?”

“He’s got to have somebody working within the government offices.  He said he was…interested in the hybrid experimentation, but I don’t know what for yet.  So…” he shrugs and Sanji clicks his tongue. 

“Okay, so we find his mole and expose them.”

“He’ll suspect something,” Law tries to quickly put the kibosh on that idea but Sanji persists. 

“Did you forget you have the best fucking agents in the whole damn city on your side?  If anybody can find it out, it’s them, and you should have…” he chuckles.  “Fuck, I thought Kaku was gonna kill somebody after we found you…” he stops and breathes out slowly. 

“I’m not agreeing,” Law says slowly, because while Sanji’s right Law’s not entirely sure just _how_ much pull Doflamingo has and he’s not going to put even _more_ people in danger just for his sake.  “But we can discuss it when I’m feeling a little better.”

“Sounds good,” Sanji sits up a little.  “Um, are you hungry or anything?”

“I think right now I just need to take my painkillers and go to sleep.  And if you could get me a damp washcloth that would be appreciated,” he realizes he’s still lying there naked with cum on his stomach, and Sanji laughs nervously but nods and goes to do that, coming back with a glass of water and hovering nervously before he heads into the washroom. 

Law sighs, cleaning himself up as best he can and pulling his boxers back up, and he forces himself upright enough to take his pills before flopping back into bed. 

Everything’s aching even more now, if it’s possible, and he feels guilty and stupid and worthless.  Maybe it would have been better if Doflamingo had just killed him, because living life with the fear of that man hovering over his shoulder isn’t going to be pleasant in the least. 

“Hey,” Sanji slides in behind him, keeping his distance, and Law decides that he doesn’t care anymore and turns over with a groan of pain, curling around the blond and letting his head rest on Sanji’s shoulder, arm tight over his chest.  “Law?”

Law shakes his head, because he can’t stoop low enough to _ask_ for Sanji to hold him, but the other man seems to understand and wraps him up as tight as he dares.  He’s still freezing cold, but his presence is comforting and just knowing _somebody_ is there is what Law needs right now. 

“You’re getting under my skin, you know,” Sanji’s back to using that tone where he makes everything sound like some sort of affectionate insult, and Law smiles a little because it’s actually helping.  “I don’t like it.”

“I don’t like it much either, but I think…we’re stuck with each other for right now,” he admits, and Sanji barks a laugh. 

 _“Finally_ he gets it.  You’re damn right about that,” he says assuredly and Law presses a kiss against his shoulder. 

He can feel his eyes slipping closed after that, and this time when he slides into nothingness it’s not to pain and fear, but to Sanji’s slender fingers stroking through his hair and Sanji’s voice, humming what almost sounds like a lullaby, in his ears. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Apparently I need better plot twists, if the number of ‘it’s Doflamingo and he’s going to torture Law!’ reviews I got after last chapter is any indication (although can I at least say that nobody saw the shadow thing coming?). I sometimes wonder about my own thought processes, though, because ‘okay yes he gets captured and tortured and then gets jerked off by a shadow’ should not be something that crosses a person’s mind, I don’t think…


	10. Chapter 10

Sanji pushes the door to the bedroom open, a tray held deftly in one hand as he navigates to the bed.  Law’s still asleep, thankfully, but his brow is furrowed and he looks uneasy.  Sanji sighs and sets the tray down on the dresser, walking over to the bed and laying his fingers gently on Law’s shoulder. 

“Hey,” he murmurs, stepping back when Law’s eyes snap open, but he merely looks around the room for a moment or two before relaxing.  “Good morning.”

“Well, it’s morning, at least,” Law sounds defeated and Sanji’s not sure what he can say to make him feel better.  Yesterday had been…well, honestly he’s pretty proud of himself for how well he’d handled it and how calm he’d been, but it had been terrifying to see Law like that, and last night is definitely _not_ how he’d assumed his first sexual experience would go. 

Not that he regrets it, not really, but everything’s so fucked up that he was hardly in the moment at the time. 

“I made oatmeal,” he murmurs, and Law pushes himself upright, groaning.  “Hey, take it easy…”

“It’s okay.  I think the painkillers are doing their job,” Law sits up and grimaces, leaning back against the headboard.  He still looks a little detached, but there’s something endearing about him in the morning, hair mussed and with his guards completely down. 

“Good.  Chopper said you could take them every twelve hours, so if it starts to hurt again you’re probably good to have more,” Sanji walks over, telling himself to stop being such a coward, and leans down to give Law a quick kiss.  “So.  Oatmeal?” he asks, and Law gives him a tiny smile at that. 

“Yes.  I’m rather hungry now, actually.”

“Is that a good sign?” Sanji asks, handing over the bowl, and Law takes it with a nod of thanks. 

“Well, Doctor Tony seemed to think that my injuries shouldn’t affect my capacity to eat whatever I want, but I would be lying if I said that last night…” he pauses and shrugs, staring off into the middle distance, and Sanji frowns and sits down beside him, hands cradling a cup of coffee he’d brought from the kitchen. 

“What?”

“If Doflamingo’s plan was to entirely humiliate me and make me feel like I don’t deserve to be alive, he’s succeeded,” Law says quietly, eyes dropping, and Sanji honestly isn’t sure what to say to that.  His first impulse is to be snarky, but that seems kind of…callous given the situation, and he’s shit at being genuinely sympathetic so he just stays quiet, sipping at his coffee and letting Law collect himself.  “Sorry.  I’m just pitying myself now and you shouldn’t have to deal with that.  I’ve spent most of my life believing that I’m the only person who I can truly depend on, and the one time I thought I had found somebody else I could trust and that would look out for me he was taken away before I could truly appreciate what he’d done.  That was…” he frowns, furrowing his brow.  “Nearly fifteen years ago, now, but since then it’s just been me.  Yes, the government has sort of looked out for me because not all of them are heartless bastards and I think they saw my potential even as a teenager, but other than providing me with necessities and funding for education I’ve been a solitary creature,” he bites his lip and Sanji still remains quiet, just listening. 

Law pauses to take a few swallows of the porridge, a slight raise of an eyebrow letting Sanji know that he’s enjoying it, before continuing. 

“And now…I had honestly thought I was doing fine, but Doflamingo’s effectively proven to me that whatever confidence I have in myself means nothing where he’s concerned, and if he’d wanted to kill me there was literally _nothing_ I could have done.  I was completely helpless against him, and it’s made me feel like I’m not…strong enough, I suppose,” he furrows his brow and breathes out slowly through his nose.  “It’s forcing me to depend on other people, and I’m not comfortable with that.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not either, but since this whole…thing I’ve kinda been forced into it, too,” Sanji says quietly, and Law looks over at him.  “I fucking hate looking weak.  But I’m not too proud to admit that you’ve saved my life _twice_ now and without you and everybody else that’s been amazing to me this whole time I’d be dead, or fully Turned, or…fuck, I dunno, but I _get it,_ okay?” he says, trying to speak with as much conviction as possible, and Law nods although his eyes are completely dead. 

“Perhaps.”

“It’s not weak to need somebody else once in a while,” Sanji clears his throat and looks to the side, unsure if he’s even helping or just making it worse.  “And I promise that I’m never gonna make you feel like you’re weak to need it.”

“I do appreciate that,” Law hunches his shoulders forward, curling in on himself, and Sanji decides that it’s high time he stop being a coward and wraps his arm around Law, pulling him in gently and breathing a sigh of relief when Law doesn’t try to move away.  “It’s not going to be easy for me, though.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Sanji assures him, closing his eyes and just sitting there for a few moments.  “Did he…I mean, what did he…”

“Does it matter?” Law glances up, but he sighs and burrows his nose against Sanji’s neck.  “Nothing I can’t handle.  My back was…I must have been unconscious when he did that, so most of it I only felt the aftermath.  I’m trying not to think about it, though,” he adds, and Sanji has the rather strong feeling that he wants the subject dropped so he obliges. 

“So.  You have any ideas on who the mole is?” he asks, and Law nods. 

“Vaguely.  He mentioned something about being interested in the hybrid experimentation so it has to be somebody that works with it directly.  I know Vegapunk is too upstanding a man to be working with an underground lord, so that leaves…” he groans and Sanji looks at him curiously.  “Caesar.  I should have known.  I know I was gassed and Caesar’s always playing around with gases and strange shit.  Well, that answers that question,” he sounds almost relieved and Sanji can understand that, since at least they won’t have to go snooping around to find the culprit. 

“Wait, he _gassed_ you?” he asks, and Law nods. 

“Chloroform or something like it, I think.  It smelled sweet, regardless, and I’ve had a headache since last night so that’s consistent with its properties.  Nothing damaging in the long run,” he adds quickly, and Sanji presses his nose into Law’s fluffy hair and sighs.  He can’t even imagine what the other man’s been through in the last couple of days, and the fact that he’s handling it as well as he is is kind of remarkable. 

“You’re so fucking strong, you know that?” he’s not sure why he’s saying it, but it seems like Law needs to hear it now more than ever. 

“Hardly,” Law snorts and Sanji pulls away enough that he can look into Law’s eyes, trying to let him know he’s being serious. 

“I mean it.  After what you went through, acting like it’s nothing…”

“It _is_ nothing,” Law grits his teeth and Sanji rolls his eyes, knowing that Law’s resolved to be stubborn for now so there’s probably no getting through to him yet.  He stays silent while Law finishes his oatmeal, grimacing and setting the bowl aside before taking a couple more of the painkillers.  “We should probably change these bandages,” he notes, attempting to get up before Sanji grabs his arm.  “I’m quite capable of walking the ten steps to my bathroom, Mr. Blackleg,” he mutters, but Sanji’s definitely not having that and he slides an arm under Law’s knees, carefully lifting him up. 

“Hey.  I’m not gonna tell anybody,” he promises, because Law’s pride seems to be intact even after all of this, and he sits him down on the toilet and starts to unwrap the bandages, breathing a sigh of relief when he sees that at least nothing looks _worse_ than last night.  The whip marks are still raw and ugly-looking but there’s no signs of infection.  Chopper’s able to do a marvelous job considering he’s got hooves, and the wounds look clean and free of any discoloration at the edges.  He’s not an expert on injuries, really, but he’s seen some nasty knife cuts and burns working in a kitchen so he’s got basic knowledge when it comes to taking care of things like this. 

He keeps quiet while he works, reapplying the ointment and grabbing clean bandages, and Law sits equally as silent, wincing a little from time to time, but soon enough Sanji’s done and he looks up.  “How are your shoulders?”

“Okay,” Law moves his arm a little.  “Just stiff, mostly.  How’s my throat?” he reaches a hand up and Sanji glances at it, eyes narrowing because the bruising’s almost gone and that doesn’t make any sense, unless… “What?  Something wrong?”

“No, it’s…they’re pretty much healed,” he starts slowly, brain trying to make sense of it and coming to the only conclusion it can.  “I was…kissing your neck last night…”

“Of course,” Law half-smiles.  “Your saliva…”

“Yeah.  Healing properties,” Sanji chuckles.  “I mean, I could…”

“No,” Law shakes his head.  “I appreciate the offer, but I’ll let the rest heal on their own.  I need a reminder of this,” his eyes are dark and Sanji winces because Law’s still punishing himself for this and he shouldn’t be.  “Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

“I can help with whatever,” Sanji promises, but Law laughs a little nervously and shakes his head. 

“I’m quite sure I’m capable of using the toilet without assistance, Mr. Blackleg,” he mumbles, and Sanji feels a little embarrassed because, yeah, way to be overprotective. 

“Okay,” he stands up, hesitating before tipping Law’s chin up and kissing him, and Law closes his eyes and looks almost _happy_ for that brief second of contact, but Sanji decides to let him be and leaves the bathroom, closing the door behind him. 

He can hear his phone vibrating from the nightstand the second that he does, and when he picks it up he’s not all that surprised to hear Kaku on the other side. 

“Are you checking up on us?” he asks, sitting down on the bed, and Kaku chuckles. 

“Not precisely.  Or, rather, I’m doing it on behalf of Doctor Chopper who seems rather anxious but won’t admit it outright,” he states, and Sanji hasn’t known Chopper for _that_ long but the news isn’t surprising in the least.  “So what should I tell him?”

“Things are good,” Sanji says immediately.  “I mean, as good as they can be.  He’s not in much pain, I don’t think, and nothing looks infected so…I changed his bandages this morning and he took some more painkillers, and he ate some oatmeal…maybe he’s a little surlier than normal but pretty much fine,” he relays, and Kaku hums thoughtfully. 

“Surlier than usual, eh?  You can tell with him?” he asks, and Sanji laughs because yeah, Law’s kind of…grumpy at the best of times.  “But that’s reassuring news.  I’ll be sure to tell our reindeer friend,” he pauses and yawns, and Sanji remembers what he’d said about being on patrol all night. 

“Shit, man, have you gotten any sleep yet?”

“That’s my next plan after we finish conversing.  I thought I would call you before it slipped my mind…” he cuts off to reply to an muffled voice behind him, and Sanji hears what sounds like wings flapping and a door closing before Kaku comes back on the line.  “Sorry.  My partner sometimes fails to understand that the world does not revolve around their schedule,” he mutters, but there’s a lot of affection in it, and it’s just one more question Sanji has about the agent. 

He knows that Kaku never reveals anything unless he damn well wants to, though, so it’s better to leave it be for now.  “Are you any farther along getting information out of Law about yesterday?” Kaku asks then, and it jogs Sanji’s memory.

“Yeah, fuck, I almost forgot!” Sanji flops back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.  “He thinks that Caesar’s behind it.  Or, well, that he’s been informing the guy who _did_ kidnap him about what he’s up to with…me,” he finishes, and Kaku hums thoughtfully. 

“He’s always seemed mighty shady, I have to admit.  We’ll look into it, but of course we can’t accuse him without proper proof.  No word on who actually snagged him, eh?”

“He said it was his mentor’s older brother,” Sanji says slowly, and he hears Kaku let out an uncharacteristic ‘fucking _hell’_ on the other end of the line. “What?  Is it bad?”

“If Doflamingo’s involved this isn’t just some paltry grudge.  The man is an expert at getting away with illegal activity by always having a good cover, but we know he’s at least involved in drugs and weapons trade, and there’s been talk of him sniffing around the hybrid experimentation process.  Along with…” he pauses and Sanji waits for him to continue.  “Human trafficking,” Kaku sounds disgusted and Sanji can’t blame him because shit, that’s getting heavy.  “I’ll talk to Rob and we’ll figure something out to start investigating Caesar,” he sounds determined now and Sanji knows that, one way or another, they’ll get it done. 

“Sounds good.”

“I’ll get back to you once we’ve found something out, but just…take care of him, alright?  I know he’s a stubborn lad but I think you’ve got a pretty firm grip on things,” there’s something in his tone that almost sounds like innuendo but Sanji just doesn’t _expect_ that from him, so he’s probably imagining it.  Still, if anybody’s perceptive enough to figure out there’s something more to his and Law’s relationship than straight friendship, it’s Kaku. 

“I will,” he promises, hanging up just as the bathroom door opens and Law wanders into the room.  He’s moving a little stiffly but he doesn’t look like he’s struggling, and he sighs as he lies down beside Sanji, keeping his distance until Sanji tugs on his arm and he turns to curl closer. 

“Who was that?”

“Kaku.  Checking up on you on behalf of Chopper, and I told him about Caesar,” he added, unsure how Law would react, but he merely shrugs. 

“Good.  If anybody has a chance at finding out what he’s up to or what his connections to…”

“Doflamingo.”

“Fuck.  Kaku knows, then?” he looks worried for a second or two before his body relaxes.  “Well, it’s not hard to figure out, I suppose.  I know they’ll be careful, at least,” he seems to shrug it off, then, and Sanji stokes his back above the bandages, tracing the swirled heart tattoo over one shoulder.  

“You seem okay with this,” Sanji says carefully, and Law makes a non-committal sound. 

“I know CP9.  And I know that once they get an idea in their heads, there’s no stopping them until they consider their mission complete.  It’s just easier, this time, to let them do as they will.  And quite frankly I’m not opposed to the threat of Doflamingo going away,” he shivers and Sanji holds him a little tighter. 

“Are you tired?”

“Not especially.  I’ve slept for most of the past two days, after all,” he notes wryly, but he looks…spent, if nothing else, and Sanji’s got a feeling if Chopper were here he’d be telling Law to rest regardless.  “I’m not going to object to not moving for a while, though…”

“Good.  I was gonna say that,” Sanji’s glad Law brought it up because that means he won’t have to argue with him, at least, but honestly he’s comfortable now (and a few weeks ago he never thought he’d say he felt comfortable cuddling with another man) and Law’s warm enough to take away his perpetual chill when he’s this close.  He keeps idly stroking Law’s skin, needing the contact to reassure him that the other man is here and safe because the few hours when they hadn’t known where he was had been some of the most frightening he can remember in a long time. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” Law promises, reaching a hand up, and Sanji clasps it and intertwines their fingers, holding it over his heart. 

It’s far too sappy, and he knows it, but right now he can’t bring himself to care.

000

“You look troubled.”

“That’s a fair bit of an understatement,” Kaku walks back into the bedroom proper and takes his baseball cap off to run his fingers through his hair, spiking it up a little.   “Sanji told me who we’re up against, and it’s not going to be a walk in the park.”

“Is it within our interests?”

“Quite, actually.  Are you implying if it had not been we’d just let this go?”

“We’re not in the business of settling personal disputes, whether or not government employees are involved.  You know that well enough.”

“Mm,” Kaku doesn’t really respond, because it’s not necessary, but the continual jibes at his good nature get tiring after a while. 

Yes, he’s somewhat more…human than the majority of CP9, probably, but that hardly means he’s ever going to compromise his position.  He’s worked too hard to get where he is to consider that. 

“Well, don’t leave me in suspense,” the words are stated as if there are going to be dire consequences should Kaku delay any longer, but he’s hardly intimidated by Lucci anymore.  To begin with, maybe, because even as children he’d had a rather overbearing and dark presence that made it impossible not to notice him, but now…

“Law suspects that Caesar is working under somebody else,” he starts, drawing it out as long as possible because he gets more than a little enjoyment from knowing something Lucci doesn’t. 

“The man who kidnapped him,” Lucci leans forward and frowns, brows knotting together.  “The Donquixote clan’s arm is getting longer, I see,” he barely glances up to see if he’s right, but then, of course he’s already put the pieces together.  “You’re right about this being to our advantage.  He’s been in a thorn in our side for years without us having any proof on him, but this is the closest he’s come to giving himself away.”

“It’s not gonna be easy figuring out what he’s up to without him getting suspicious,” Kaku points out, but Lucci shrugs. 

“I’m never one to back down from a challenge. And besides, it’s far more interesting than what we’ve been doing for the last God knows how many years.  Our talents are wasted going out _scouting_ every night,” he practically sneers the word and Kaku can’t really argue with him.  “Besides, I know you, and you like Law and this little half-vamp of his enough that you’d have found a way to help them regardless of whether I agreed or not,” he sounds smug and Kaku looks over his shoulder to glare at him although, again, he’s probably correct in that assessment as well. 

He notes that neither of them bring up the inherent danger involved in trying to expose somebody with as many connections as Doflamingo, because while vampires are bloodthirsty and irrational, they’re also fairly brainless and it’s easy to outsmart a creature whose only aim is to main and kill.  Doflamingo, by all accounts, is incredibly wily and it will be much harder to predict his movements. 

Still, he’s far past the point where danger is going to stop him from doing something, and none of them are in the business of dissuading each other just because somebody might die.  He hadn’t been lying to Sanji when he’d said that relationships often went messy in their occupation, but he’s half-convinced the reason he and Lucci have…whatever they have…is because he’s willing to take a bullet for the other man while Lucci would be willing to let him and, probably, be fine to watch him bleed out in the aftermath. 

It’s a sobering thought, and not a pleasant one, but he’s never been under any illusions that what they have is healthy.  Or, really, anything more than simple stress relief, because he’s quite certain Rob Lucci is incapable of actually having _feelings_ for another person.

He sighs, then, and strips off his jacket, kicking his boots off and flopping back on the bed because he’s too exhausted to think clearly, especially when it comes to the amount of strategizing they’re going to have to do soon enough. 

“Get some rest,” Lucci doesn’t look inclined to move and Kaku thinks absently that more than a little of his hybrid is rubbing off on him because he’s seemingly developed the sleeping habits of a cat, as well. 

“I will,” he pushes himself upright with some effort, thinking about one last thing he should do before he calls it a night…morning…whatever it happens to be.  “But first, can I borrow Hattori for a bit?”

Lucci doesn’t really answer him but if it had been a ‘no’ Kaku’s quite sure he would have made it clear, so he goes to the desk to find a pen while the pigeon hops over and coos in a questioning manner.  “What for?” Lucci eventually asks, and Kaku stops searching around to look back and reply,

“I need him to deliver a message.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I’m not sure when the next chapter of this will be out because I start both school and work again this week so my fandom-time will probably be reduced until I get used to my schedule, but I’ll try to keep updates regular-ish!


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